58: Just a Yellow Bug

At a funeral I once attended, the officiant asked if there was anyone present who had anything to say regarding the deceased or his family. One man who got up made an observation that I will never forget:

He said to suppose that while he was talking that a hornet entered the room. We would no longer be paying attention to anything this man was saying, but instead be focused on the hornet and where he was flying. Why? We would all be greatly concerned with that stinger on the hornet's backside.

Now suppose that the stinger was removed. Would we be concerned any longer? Nope - because now what was once a stinging threat is now just a yellow bug.

The speaker then proceeded to quote 1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

Thanks to the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior death no longer has a sting, a victory, for those who believe.

Oh, death is hard to be sure. Just in the past 2 days I've learned of three deaths affecting people I love. They're feeling the sting of loneliness. The sting of missing an important part of their life here on Earth. The sting of life as they know it being dramatically different.

But they are not feeling the sting of death. Of a permanent goodbye. Of hopelessness.

The Lord has removed those stingers and made death to be just a yellow bug. Something to be endured and tolerated for a little while, but not to be feared or given a victory.

Praise the Lord!

(And please be praying for those who have recently lost loved ones. Even though we know death does not hold a permanent victory it is still so, so difficult to endure in the meantime. . .)