No Stinger

There’s a science to knowing which flying critters bite or sting, but my rule is … avoid ‘em all!  The warmer weather has, of course, caused stingers and non-stingers to emerge so porch-sitters beware!  Death can be a scary thing especially if you or someone you love is facing it. Some of God’s most repeated words came to us through the Apostle Paul – “death, where is your sting?” I’m confident all have experienced death’s sting – often untimely, always cruel. So, what are we to think of this persistent enemy, death? “Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57). The Redeemed of God – the Saved, Saints, Believers – may experience sadness-grief at separation of loved ones BUT we do not grieve as those who have no Hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Even in tears and personal pain of present-or-pending separation, we look death squarely in the eye and say “Oh death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).  Mister Bill is usually armed with  fly-flap and bug spray as we sit on the porch, but there’s never enough spray to kill all the biting-stinging things! Until such time when death itself is put-to-death (1 Corinthians 15:26), we have Hope: because Christ conquered death, Believers need not fear it. Death has no stinger!