Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This morning I thought I was going a different direction with today’s devotional, but then my mind was filled with a chorus that I haven’t sung for many years.  But more than a chorus, it expresses the reality of our lives:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know, I know, I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

This chorus is from the song Because He Lives – by Bill & Gloria Gaither. The first verse says it all:

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus.
He came to love, heal and forgive.
He lived and died, to buy my pardon.
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

In the good times, the hard times and the bad times – life is worth living because Jesus lives!  He is who we are all about.  But it’s more than just having a reason to live for.  He touched us!  He changed us!  He lives within us and transforms everything – most of all us!  In Jesus, we possess the greatest gift ever given to mankind and it wasn’t just a one time event.

Each and every day, we get to awake to the wonder of our God.  Because He lives in us, each day is filled with opportunity to walk with Him – to experience and express His love in the midst of whatever we find ourselves in. We don’t live in fear, but in hope – no matter what things look like.  His joy and peace fill us and sustain us.  Our lives become a fragrance of Him to all those around us.  Peace, joy and hope are not common commodities in the world today.  Our lives are about Him!

All of this is possible and a treasured reality for us – because Jesus lives!