The Bible has numerous references to our brief lives. The fact is, we’re only here for a little while. How will you make the most of today?

What does Christ’s resurrection mean to you, personally? Is it just a nice story, or does it give you hope?

Have you lost something/someone in your life, and you wonder how much more you can take? Share your burdens with God today.

We may not all be “Braveheart,” but we can be brave-of-heart. Ask the Lord for courage to face your fears today.

What are the first images that pop into your head when you hear the word Easter? If your mind is spinning with thoughts of chocolate bunnies, blooming lilies and a day off of work, then it might surprise you that one of the things I think about during this season is the movie Braveheart.

Before you suggest a good therapist, allow me to explain. Thinking about Easter fills me with a sort of righteous rage – as if I could take on the devil glove-to-glove and remind him (as I pin him in a headlock), “Guess what? You LOSE!” I imagine being on the battlefield in Braveheart, surrounded by fellow Scottsmen, when William Wallace rallies the masses with his battlecry: “… [T]hey may take our lives, but they’ll never take … OUR FREEDOM!”

What can the enemy take from me when I know that I win, in the end? I cry out like Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Corinthians 15:55, Hosea 13:14). Because of Easter, we are victorious in Christ!

“… [W]e are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

The tagline for the movie Braveheart reads: “Every man dies; not every man really lives.” What is life, if spent in fear? What is life, apart from the resurrected Christ? Life in Christ is freedom from fear and death. Even William Wallace knew, “It’s all for nothing if you don’t have freedom.” The question, as Paul (via Galatians 5:13) and William Wallace remind us, is, “What will you do with that freedom?”

(Braveheart. Dir. Mel Gibson. Perf. Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan. 1995. Film.)

Easter is not a Hollywood movie plot. Jesus died, rose, ascended into heaven and is coming again. Meditate on how great is his love for us.

No matter what we face, the Lord is with us. Thank him today for being your shield, your deliverer, your fortress, your redeemer.

Discouragement versus enthusiasm … Which term best describes your faith-walk today?

Fear and timidity go hand-in-hand. Is there an area in your life where you need to pray for boldness and confidence?