O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?
I Cor 15:55 NKJV
The bee hit me in the head. I was in my backyard and it just flew straight at me and ran into my head. It looked like it did it on purpose. Then it hovered in front of me as if to say, “What are you gonna do about that?”.
It looked like a bumblebee, but I’d never seen a bumblebee act like this one. So, I looked it up online and discovered it was a carpenter bee. It was a male who was buzzing me because he was trying to impress a female. The male doesn’t have a stinger, so it is harmless but slightly annoying. Now, when I go outside to work and the pesky thing buzzes around me, I ignore it.
Just like I do with death, because Jesus took the sting of death away. It is just a mere nuisance now, but nothing to fear. Sin brought physical and spiritual death, but Jesus brought spiritual life. Yes, this body is corrupted and destined for death, but He gave us victory over sin and one day we will have an incorruptible body. It’s just like that carpenter bee buzzing around me. I just ignore it because I no longer fear death. I know when I die, I’ll be in heaven with my savior. So, there is no fear or dread of death.
Like Paul in Philippians 1:23, he had a desire to depart and be with Christ. Imagine having no fear of death, but just viewing it as a necessary process to be free of this body and be with Jesus. I’m not saying we should hope to die soon or hasten it happening to us. I’m just saying when death does come to us, we no longer fear it.
Paul knew he was nearing the end. He had run the race, fought the good fight, and kept the faith. He was eager to die and be with the Lord. Imagine being eager to die because you know where you’re going. Death has no sting when you are eager for it because you know it’s just this physical body that dies.
So, that bee buzzes around me and flies into my head, but I just ignore and keep going about my business. Sometimes, I laugh at it when it hovers in front of me and tries to look intimidating.
Let’s laugh at death and remember Whose we are and where we’re going.
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