Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Ain't No Grave was written by Lisa M. Samra.

Even as country music legend Johnny Cash was approaching death, he was determined to keep making music.

His final album, American Six, Ain't No Grave, was recorded in the final months of his life.

The title song, Cash's version of a hymn by Claude Ely, gives insight into his final thoughts as we hear him sing of

his hope of the resurrection. His famously deep voice, the weakened by his declining health,

declares a powerful testimony of faith. Johnny's hope wasn't simply in the fact that Jesus

was resurrected on Easter Sunday morning.

He believed that one day, his own physical body would also be resurrected, and he'd rise again.

It's an important truth to affirm, because even in the days of the Apostle Paul, people denied a future physical resurrection.

Paul strongly critiqued their argument when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15,

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your

faith. Just as the grave couldn't hold Jesus' body, one day, all those who have faith that he

was resurrected will be made alive, And in our resurrected bodies,

we'll enjoy all eternity with Him on a new earth.

That's a reason to sing.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading

is from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 12 through 22 if it is

preached that Christ has been raised from the dead how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the

dead if there is no resurrection of the dead then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised,

our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false

...