Transformed – teen devotion – November 3, 2024

Death is not forever.

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.

On this mountain, the [Lord Almighty] will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.

In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Isaiah 25:6-9

You Will Live Forever

The casket was open in front of the church. A woman lay inside… a wife, mother, friend, teacher. Her body was there, but she wasn’t there. She was wearing a pretty dress, her usual hairstyle, nice make up… but she was just an empty shell of the woman loved by her husband and children and friends. Death had changed everything.

Maybe you’ve experienced a similar scene at a funeral. If not, you will as the years pass. At some point it will also be your turn to be in a box in front of the church. The somber scene of a funeral displays the tragic reality of life: the wages of sin is death, and all have sinned, so all will die. Nothing can change that.

But listen to Isaiah forecast something different for the future. He talks about the shroud (the cloth draped over a casket at a funeral). He says the shroud covering the world is going to be destroyed! He says that the Lord is wiping away tears from the faces of his mourning people! The Lord is welcoming people into a feast! Where does this joyous change take place? On the “mountain of the Lord.” How does one get there? Jesus is the key. He climbed Mt. Calvary’s cross to destroy the shroud!

This past week, churches around the world celebrated All Saints’ Day. It’s a day to remember those who’ve died. More than that though, it’s a day of celebration knowing where they are – the Mountain of the Lord!

Don’t be afraid of the shroud of death – there’s life on the mountain of God! By God’s grace, you will ascend the mountain of the Lord to live with all who’ve gone there before you. Together you will live with God for eternity! What a joyous day that will be!

Prayer:
Lord God who holds the power over death, keep me close to your all the days of my life. When your time is right, bring me home to live with you and those who have gone before me forever. Amen.