Last Sunday morning at church, we sang the hymn, Because He Lives. It brought to mind so many memories from my childhood, attending church, singing hymns and praise to God.  I started thinking about the words to this song and my mind just tumbled with a list of all the reasons why—Because—He—Lives.

This song was written by Bill and Gloria Gaither, one of the most influential Christian duos in my childhood. Sitting next to my mother at the piano, singing, The King is Coming, Something Beautiful, He Touched Me, their songs put an indelible mark on my young heart. The lyrics to Because He Lives are simple and proclaim the gospel and the undeniable hope, we have in Jesus that carries each of us through the dark corridors of this life.

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.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

God sent His Son, Jesus, into this cold and dark world. And Jesus wasn’t sent as an afterthought, some Plan B to fix what had been broken. The cross was always the plan, from the dawn of the creation. God, in his omnipotence, knew we would need a Savior, a powerful champion to break the cycle of sin and death that we ourselves are unable to conquer. Christ came and conquered the grave, putting an end to sin and shame and as the song says, “to buy my pardon”, so that through faith in Him, we are set free.

So back to the list in my head—

• Because He Lives—I do not need to fear what tomorrow will bring.
• Because He Lives—I do not need to cling tightly to my life. I can relax my grip and set my trust in Him.
• Because He Lives—I can have faith that He is in control, though the mountains shake, and the earth gives way. (Psalm 46)
• Because He Lives—I can trust He has my children and their children, in His hands.
• Because He Lives—I don’t need to fear the evil that seems to be around every corner.
• Because He Lives—I need not obsess over the wicked. God sees and He will avenge.
• Because He Lives—I need not obsess over the “what if’s”. I can trust in His provision.
• Because He Lives—I need not plan for every contingency. I can let go and trust He is in control.

Do you see a pattern in my list? Yes, I am a bit of a control freak. I guess because I had no control over my life as a child, I became obsessed as an adult to control every aspect. I was focused and determined to have everything I thought was important and nothing would dissuade me in my quest for those things I felt I needed. Yet in that quest, I lost something more valuable and important, my trust in who God really is. I felt that I had to work to secure my life. I had to plan to control my life. I couldn’t trust, because if I let go and trusted, that would mean I wasn’t in control of the outcome.

How silly! Who am I, that I have any control at all?!! The audacity of my thinking, that I could control the end result by laying out my plan. I am both ashamed and amused by my thinking. Now, I am not saying that God wants us to go through life like a feather on the wind. We are to stand firm on His word and live a life that glorifies His name. We are to love those who are lost, those who are deceived.

There are so many demonic delusions present in today’s world. Are we standing boldly on the Rock of the Gospel, or are we shrinking into the shadows when pressed to speak the truth? We must speak the truth and reach out in love to those who are lost!

Because He Lives, we can place our daily lives into His hands. We can rise each morning and give Him the praise and glory He so richly deserves. Because He Lives, we do not need to wring our hands in worry as we watch the evening news. Because He Lives, we can boldly proclaim the truth, when we face the delusions of this present day. Because He Lives, we can pray in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, knowing God is able to reach out and save those who are lost. Because He Lives, we know that when death comes, we won’t be lost in the darkness, but instead we will be ushered directly into the presence of the Almighty God! Because He Lives, we know that no matter what this world throws at us, God is still on His throne. He is in control, and nothing has power over Him or His plan for our lives. That, my dear friend, is why I can face tomorrow!