The Empty Cage

1 Corinthians 15:54 – When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

A time came when we all knew my Dad was dying. I felt very close to my Dad, and I believe that he was concerned about how I would react when he was gone.

Dad took me aside one day to try to explain how he was looking at death.

He told me about life being like a bird in a cage, the bird being our spirit and the cage, our body. When we die, it is like opening the cage door and letting the bird fly away to freedom, leaving only an empty cage. I was 14 years of age, and I have never forgotten it.

When those days were accomplished and Dad did leave us, I had grown in my spiritual walk and came to the knowledge of how we must learn to live to the full and understand how one day we shall all see death. What actually transpires is that we breathe the last breath that God has given to us and the spirit, for the believer, leaves the body to be eternally with Him.

Revelation 14:13a – And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours. (KJV)

Thus, the bond of death has lost its sting and releases us from all our toil and suffering. Now the grave has no victory, for Christ died once and for all for our sin, and gave to us the victory over death.

Praise God!

Prayer: Dear Lord, we come to You this day to give thanks for Your Son, Jesus, who took our place by sacrificing His life that we might have freedom from our sin to spend eternity with You. Amen.

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