No More Arthritic Knees... Hallelujah!

“Blessed is death, since through the divine power it removes our working clothes and dresses us with the wedding garment of incorruption.” – C.H. Spurgeon

The other day, Deanna and I drove to Okeechobee to do some antiquing. We had a nice lunch at Glady’s Diner, Okeechobee’s oldest restaurant, and bought some fresh produce at a local farmer’s market before heading over to the antique mall.

We always find something unique there and this time was no different: some Louis L’Amour paperback books for a 92-year-old man in our church who loves westerns, some Amish jam (boysenberry and strawberry rhubarb) for me, and a garden flag for Deanna. They also have a vintage clothing section and one of the mannequins had a beautiful ivory colored dress on it.

“If I ever got remarried,” Deanna said, “I would wear a vintage dress like this one.” Then, realizing what she had just said, she quickly added, “Of course, I don’t want anything to happen to you and even if it did, I don’t think I would get married again.”

I knew what she meant – she simply liked the dress and thought it was pretty – so I shrugged it off with a smile.

But guess what, folks! Someday in the not-too-distant future, you and I will get to take off this old, decaying mortal body and put on a new glorified one that will never age or deteriorate. That’s right… as the bride of Christ, we will be given immortal bodies clothed in spotless white robes that will make our current ones pale in comparison.

No more arthritic knees or hearing aids for me… and no more eyeglasses and back pain for Deanna.

How about you, my friend? What are you most looking forward to getting in Glory and what are you most looking forward to leaving behind here on earth?

“It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” I Corinthians 15:52-55 (NLT)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President