Reflections and Grave Misgivings...Victory Over Death

Good morning, Lord. Thank You for another day, for safe passage through another night. Thank You for Your tender mercy.
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I have been reflecting on my attitudes toward others and I have been selfish. I need to focus more on the needs of others instead of myself. I ask for Your help, O Lord. Guide me this day, help me to grow into the person You want and created me to be. Amen.

Today's readings came from Psalms and Acts. The first is Psalm 13 and Psalm 14:
"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my foes will rejoice when I fall. but I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." Psalm 13
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt, there is no one who does good, not even one. Will evildoers never learn--those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? There they are overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans f the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!" Psalm 14

The following is a prayer of thanksgiving:
"I will sing of Your mercies, Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that Your loving-kindness will be built up forever, that You will establish Your faithfulness in the heavens. And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord. Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones For who in the heavens can be compared with You? who is like You among the children of the mighty? You are greatly feared in the council of the holy ones and more awesome than all who surround You. O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You." Psalm 89:1-2, 5-8.

The New Testament passage is Acts 12:1-19a and the following is the prayer associated with it.
"Your loving-kindness, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your judgements are like the great deep. O Lord, Your preserve people and beasts. How priceless is Your loving-kindness, O God! Both the high and low among people find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light." Psalm 36:5-7, 9

The following comes from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:

Michael was just eight. Barely tall enough to stretch to the top of the red stick that cleared him to ride the big roller coaster. We'd been pumping him all day: "You sure you want to go? It's really scary."
His words said yes. His eyes said he wasn't so sure.
He handed over his ball cap to Mom for safekeeping and took his place with Dad in the turnstiles. Inch by inch, they worked closer and closer, his laugh getting more nervous, his feet and hands a constant fidget.
Before long, the fear was all over his face. "We can go back, son. It's all right." But with a stiff shake of his head, they were locked into the air. his face was white. His knuckles clenched. Fro the longest 45 seconds of his young life, he clung somewhere between guts and glory--holding his breath through every dip, closing his eyes on the ratchety inclines, until it jerked to a halt back at the station, his odyssey complete...the fear gone. "That wasn't so bad. Thanks for taking me, Dad."
Death must be like that. It's not so bad. Thanks for taking us, Dad.

Of all the things you can be thankful to god for, what about the freedom of knowing that death is but a door, that your reward is waiting--just on the other side? The devil can scream and holler and stamp his feet all he want to. He can't have this little soul.

"'Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endure to the end, this one will be delivered. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.'" Matthew 24:9-14