As we prepare to enter the New Year, one scripture has been constantly on my mind. This scripture is found in Luke 24:5.
And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?
As 2024 comes to a close, God is speaking to me about not seeking the living among the dead. We should not chase after things we once had that no longer have life in them.
To seek in this scripture means to long for or crave something. It produces no good fruit for us to desire things that God has removed from our lives. This could be a relationship, a job, or any other aspect of our lives. Whatever it is, let it go. Don’t waste time pursuing what no longer brings you life.
Don’t look back.
I find it interesting that the word bow in this scripture is defined as to fall back, decline, or take flight. Looking back and longing for what is no longer alive to you only causes us to fall back and go backwards.
Philippians 3:14 says, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. Most of us are familiar with this scripture, but are we familiar with the following verse?
Philippians 3:15 states, All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view.
Maturity means pressing forward, not backward.
Let’s refer back to the scripture in Luke again. The word living refers to enjoying real life—blessed, fresh, powerful, and vibrant—while the word dead denotes being inactive, void of life, and inoperative, or having breathed its last breath.
2024 may not have brought forth everything you expected. Perhaps you lost relationships, jobs, or other things. Before you seek those lost aspects, stop and ask yourself: Is there any life in them? In your own life, are they fresh, powerful, and blessed? If not, do not crave or long for them.
Recently, I have found some old things attempting to resurrect in my life—things long dead. To be honest, I have found myself drifting back to those thoughts time and again. However, I must cast down these thoughts because they are not life for me. They are dead and void of life; they will produce nothing good or blessed in my life. Therefore, I choose to press forward to where God is calling me.
In Luke 24:5, we see that the women were afraid. Fear can cause us to hold onto things that we should let go of. It can stop us from moving forward if we allow it. The good news is that we have not been given a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and a sound mind.
As we enter this New Year, remember: the best is yet to come. Do not seek the living among the dead. Leave the dead things behind. Instead, search out the living and blessed things—those are the things God has for you.
Be continually blessed as you embrace this new journey.
Bless you and thank you, Kim, for your teaching this morning. I really needed it. Hit a new low in my life this year due to many factors perhaps most vitally that I got stuck in the past. Yesterday, part of my Bible reading was Genesis 19 where Lot’s wife “looked back” and turned into a pillar of salt. I wrote in my journal, “I stop looking back at the past whether in shame and guilt or nostalgia.” But those words flow onto paper more easily than into my mind! Still, your words are a very timely encouragement and I will “press on” and study and take to heart the scriptures you referenced. Merry Christmas, Kim, and a very blessed new year!
I enjoy & am inspired by your daily devotionals, Kim. Thank you.
Hi Kim,
When I read your message this morning I immediately thought of my sister. Do you believe God would remove a family member from our lives? And how do I know if it’s God or the enemy at play here? Two big questions…I know.
I have your new book, which I will begin reading Jan 1. Maybe I’ll run onto the answer. 🙂
Merry Christmas!