But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 15:35-57

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The Seed That is Me
By Jennifer Kane

A fragile form in time’s embrace,
So small, so bound, yet breathing still,
We walk this earth, a fleeting space,
Yet bear within a greater will.

This life, a path of toil and strain,
We hunger deep, we strive and grow,
Yet all must fade, like mist or rain,
And rest beneath the soil below.

But not an end—this dark cocoon,
A waiting deep, a silence wide,
The night will pass, the morning soon,
New life will stir beyond the tide.

The trumpet calls, the tombs will break,
The breath of heaven rends the sky,
The dead will rise, no more to ache,
In glory bright, no more to die.

From dust to gold, from flesh to light,
No longer weak, no longer frail,
We soar beyond death’s fleeting night,
Transformed, redeemed beyond the veil.

The perished form, now clothed anew,
Imperishable, strong, and bright,
What once was sown, in weakness grew,
Now raised in power, crowned in light.

No grave can bind, no night contain,
The life that God Himself has sealed,
What once was lost, now breaks the chain,
Eternal, whole, redeemed and healed.

O death, where now your hollow sting?
O grave, where now your claim of might?
The risen Lord, our reigning King,
Has turned the dark to endless light.

~~~~~

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:35-57

Imagine a butterfly.

Once, it was a caterpillar—earthbound, slow, and seemingly ordinary. Then came the cocoon, a time of stillness that appeared like death. But hidden within, something miraculous was happening. The caterpillar was being transformed, waiting for the moment when it would break free and take flight in its new form.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:36 remind us that just as a seed must be buried before it grows into something new, our earthly bodies are sown in death but raised to new life in Christ. The transformation of the butterfly mirrors this divine promise—what we see as an end is only the beginning.

When a believer’s body is laid to rest, it is like a cocoon. Though it seems lifeless, God is at work. At the appointed time, just as the butterfly emerges with wings to soar, we will rise with incorruptible bodies, made for eternity. Paul tells us:

“The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43)

Like a butterfly, we will not be bound by our former limitations. Our resurrected bodies will not fade or grow weary. We will reflect the glory of Christ, the first to rise, who has made a way for us.

So let us not mourn as those without hope. The cocoon is not the end. The trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will rise, and we will be changed—forever free, forever alive.

In what areas of your life do you need to trust God for transformation? How does the promise of resurrection give you hope in times of sorrow?

~~~~~

Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of new life. When I face loss or fear of the unknown, please remind me that You are the God of resurrection. Just as the butterfly soars, I trust that I will rise in Your glory. Help me to live each day with my eyes set on eternity. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

January 31 2025