Glorious Death

Leaves dipped in gold and flaming bright red in the wind, the sun shining all around in soft shades of warmth, and I'm smiling happy 'cause God my Father shows me in all this how He works.

For this short, transitional season the world turns shades of loveliness that take our breath away and I love it. 

Maybe you can tell by all my recent posts that this is my favorite season ;)

But there is a sad truth about all this. Yes, the leaves are colorful and wonder-full, but they are dying. And this, even though it's their last few weeks alive, is probably the most beautiful they will ever be. 

And here's another truth:

 Just like with the Fall leaves, God can and does use death to illustrate His glory and grace. First and foremost in the death of His own Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins. And then in us by the dying of our sinful flesh to become alive in Him.

We, like the Autumn beauty around us, need to let go and die to ourselves and let God makes us truly beautiful in Him.
And really, what could be more right than that?

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

2 Corinthians 5-14-21

Oh Jesus, only You could make death so beautiful. Help me to surrender and die daily to myself. I need Your grace! I need You.