Rise Again

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

— Matthew 28:6 

Mary stared at the Easter lilies that lined the sanctuary stage. The spring flowers were meant to be a reminder of Christ’s Resurrection, of the Savior’s life after death. But to Mary they were a reminder that she’d lost something precious that she could never get back. When her husband had walked out the door and given up on their marriage, any chance for happiness had been destroyed.

She wasn’t sure she could sit through an entire service without breaking down, but before she could squeeze past the people filing into her row, the band began to play.

It was like somebody knew how to cripple me / with the perfect plan to break my belief / take me piece by piece till my faith was all but gone.

The words of Jason Gray’s song “I Will Rise Again” were an arrow to Mary’s broken heart. They struck her like the lyrics had been written especially for her. And with them came a message she’d needed since her husband left.

But I will rise again, stronger in the end / I believe I believe in a brand new day / A love that saves so I can say / I will rise again.

As Christians proclaim Christ’s promised victory over death, we must not forget that the Resurrection story did not end two thousand years ago. The power of Christ over sin and death is alive today. And the love that saves us also redeems the broken parts of our lives.

Heartbreak and hard times are sure to come for each of us. But because Jesus died on a cross and rose again, we have the promise of new life and a new day in Him. 

Today’s One Thing

As you listen to “I Will Rise Again,” make a list of your heartaches. Lay your list before the One who can piece you back together.

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