Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT Devotionals from April 11 to 17 are provided by Pastor Yohan of Radiance Christian Church, San Francisco.  Yohan graduated from University of Pennsylvania and Cairn University, where he studied theology.  He is married to Mandie, and they have four children: Maggie, Jonathan, Abigail and Simon.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Acts 17:32

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”

Part of the fun of being a parent of small kids is that children can be so logical and illogical at the same time.  For example, we watch this cartoon called Paw Patrol (if you have small kids, you probably know it well), and it is undoubtedly one of the stupidest shows on TV.  The premise of the show is that a ten-year-old boy named Ryder has adopted six dogs that he has trained as special rescue pups.  Each dog has his/her own special skill set—so there is a police dog, a fire fighting dog, a water rescue dog, etc. And each dog also has a doghouse that transforms into a rescue vehicle corresponding to their jobs—so a police truck, a fire truck, a hovercraft, etc.; the dogs, of course, drive.  Paw Patrol takes place in a city called Adventure Bay, where there are apparently no competent adults, because Ryder and the Paw Patrol are constantly called on by everyone from the mayor to the local grocery store owner to save them from various mishaps.  And although several different types of animals, ranging from cats to eagles to whales, find their way on the show, for whatever reason, none of them have the ability to talk—except the six members of the Paw Patrol.

One day as they were watching this show, my four-year-old says to me, “You know what doesn’t make sense about this show?  It’s how the grownups are always asking the kids for help.”  I come back with a hailstorm of other things that bug me about this show: “Honey, what about the talking dogs?  Have you ever seen dogs drive?  Why don’t other animals talk?  Where are Ryder’s parents?”  To that, she replies, “That’s okay.”  On one hand, I appreciate my daughter’s logic in seeing it strange that a ten-year-old is the only reliable person in Adventure Bay, but I find it so cutely illogical that she doesn’t see anything else being problematic—in her world, the minor things are major, and the major things are minor.

On the completely opposite vein, as long time believers, we often treat the resurrection as the minor detail of Christianity that doesn’t always need to be addressed or given much thought.  We fixate so much on other things, like our futures, or those who need guidance, or even healings and other miracles.  All of these things are important and good, but we must remember that they all don’t amount to very much if the resurrection is not true.  (What good is being healed of sicknesses if we were to die eternally anyway?)  We must also remember that ultimately, it is the resurrection that is the major stumbling block for those who do not believe in Christ.  Yet sadly, too many believers don’t think about the resurrection enough.

Today, take some time and marvel at the resurrection.  Do not be ashamed at how utterly unbelievable it can appear to those who do not have faith.  Embrace the miraculous power, which has become the lynchpin to our faith.  And above all else, thank God that the truth of the resurrection is our great hope.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that you are alive, that You have conquered sin and death, and that because You live, we will too.  Help us never to be ashamed of the fact that we believe in the resurrection, though it sounds crazy, but help us to live in and share that power to others.

Bible Reading for Today:  Psalm 8