The Hope Beyond the Grave!

Psalms 16:8-10  I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.  10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 

Acts 2:22-32  “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23  Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24  whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25  For David says concerning Him: ‘I FORESAW THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE, FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN.  26 THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED, AND MY TONGUE WAS GLAD; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL REST IN HOPE.  27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION. 28 YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE.’  29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31  he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.  32  This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33  Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 

King David wrote these words generations before the empty tomb shook the foundations of death. At first glance, Psalm 16 reads like a personal prayer of trust — a yearning for security and closeness with God. But beneath the surface, the Spirit was revealing something deeper, something eternal: a promise not just for David, but for all of us.

David dared to hope for more than just a long life; he looked beyond the grave and glimpsed the eternal. He trusted that God would not leave him in Sheol — the realm of the dead — and would not let His “Holy One” see corruption. Yet David did die. His tomb, Peter boldly proclaimed at Pentecost, was still present and known to all. So, how could David sing such a song of confidence?

David was a prophet. He saw the resurrection — not merely of himself, but of the One who would come from his lineage. The phrase, “You will not let Your Holy One see corruption,” was not about David, but a Messianic Psalm about Yeshua (Jesus), who broke the power of death by rising on the third day. And because Yeshua rose, so shall David — and so shall we.

What David saw in part, we now see in full. His hope has become our anchor: resurrection is not a wishful dream, it is a guaranteed reality through the Risen One. Yeshua is the firstfruits of the resurrection, the forerunner of a new creation where death holds no power. Because He lives, we will live also. This is not just a future promise — it is a present power. Death no longer has the final word.

Let this awaken your soul and ignite your spirit: long before Calvary, God whispered the promise of resurrection through a shepherd king — but in Yeshua, that whisper became a thunderous cry that shattered the silence of the tomb. The grave is broken, death defeated, and the pit stripped of its power. This is not mere theology — it is the cornerstone of our faith. As Paul declared, if Messiah had not been raised, our faith would be in vain –but He has been raised! (1 Cor. 15:12-17) And because the apostles grasped this truth, they were transformed from fearful men into bold witnesses who faced death without flinching. Let that same resurrection power burn in you today. Proclaim the truth with fire — for the tomb is empty, death has lost its sting, and Yeshua is alive — Amen!

Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.

How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.

[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]

As we approach the end of the age we are overwhelmed with the amount of evidence of the reliability and accuracy of the Bible. In the last century, archaeological discoveries have significantly reinforced the Bible’s credibility. A pivotal moment was in 1947 with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, an event whose significance was underscored with the timing of the reestablishment of the nation of Israel.

Yeshua (Jesus) gave us some signs and indications of what society would look like just before His return. One sign was the sign of Lot.

People read this verse, and think God is telling them to be passive — to overlook what happened. That is not a bad thing — but it isn’t exactly what Yeshua (Jesus) was saying. Turning the other cheek is not about being passive. It’s about being active! So active that it actually confounds your enemy! Turning the other cheek is about taking an action so revolutionary, so shocking, so out of the ordinary that it shocks everyone around. It confounds the world — and can also change it!

For over 25 years we’ve been covering Christian Persecution, and whenever I come across an amazing story of how a saint endured such hardships, it encourages me. I remember reading about Watchman Nee and his imprisonment. The Chinese government would change the guards at his cell daily for fear that Nee would lead them to the Lord. Their fears were justified — many of those guards did come to faith! Apparently Watchman Nee had learned a powerful lesson from the Apostle Paul.

A careful reading through the life of the Apostle Paul will yield insight concerning those who surrounded him. In this brief devotion, I want to focus on two of Paul’s friends — Luke and Demas.

Whew! What must the disciples have felt back then as they saw the waves crashing against their boat? They we’re being swayed from side to side in the deep dark sea. They were afraid for their lives! But our Lord was there all along. He just wanted them to trust.

As a pastor who has traveled extensively and also met and ministered to believers from all walks, backgrounds, and denominations, I feel I have a unique perspective on what is happening in the world and among the Body of Christ.

As I look at the big picture, I have noticed that since the recent war broke out in Israel in October of 2023, several ministries that have played a key role in Israel’s spiritual revival have come under intense attack.