Tag: eternity

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Take the Deal

Daily Reading

2Corinthians 5-9

Daily Thought

Paul’s life is shaped by his awareness that this is but his first, his earthly life, and there is eternity to come, “for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2Corinthians 5:1). We are not long for this life is Paul’s point, so don’t settle in. I resonate with, now in my sixties more than when I was sixteen, these words of Paul, “for in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2Corinthians 5:2), and there is nothing wrong with that, but not too fast, there is work to be done.

“We are ambassadors for Christ,” says Paul, “God making his appeal through us on behalf of Christ’ (2Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador is a citizen of one kingdom living in another, representing his home country to a foreign land. Jesus is King and eternity is our home, but there are many who still make this world their home and do not know there is more yet to come.

There is good news and bad news, however. Bad news first. Between now and eternity stands judgment–“we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2Corinthians 5:10), and that is bad news, because none of us have been all that good, not good enough for a heavenly dwelling. Now, the good news, and as ambassadors, we bring it. For our sake God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Corinthians 5:21). Jesus gets your sin and gives you his righteousness. It is an incredible offer, profoundly unfair, and you win. Take the deal!

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are holy and good. Your Son has taken the penalty of death for my sin and given me the reward of life through his righteousness. Thank You so much!

May I rid myself of the desires, the thoughts, the habits of old. May I put them to death. Help me kill them. I don’t want to think and act the way I used to, but rather, to live the life You created me to live, a life of service and love, of goodness and peace, that gives You glory and pleasure. Make me one who gives those on earth a taste of heaven.

Amen

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Hungry Rats

Daily Reading

Hosea 8-14

Daily Thought

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1). God recalls his love and care for Israel, rescuing them from slavery, feeding them in the wilderness, leading them to a land he specially prepared for them. And yet “when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart became proud; therefore they forgot me” (Hosea 13:6). They were fat and happy.

I was pre-med for a year, before I discovered my powerful dislike for biology. I did have fun with rats, though. I learned that if you want to teach a rat something, it better be hungry. It is the “90 percent rule.” Feed a rat, weigh it, then diet it down 10 percent. Hungry rats solve mazes faster, click pedals more often to get food and generally behave better than when they are satisfied. If they are not hungry, they are not that eager to learn.

Israel had much to learn. Perhaps when Mick Jagger wailed, “I can’t get no satisfaction,” that was a good thing, if we are looking only to the here and now, for the here and now cannot satisfy. We are made for so much more. “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). All of life is lived on the edge of eternity.

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” ~Luke 6:21

Daily Prayer

Father God, May I be satisfied in Your love, and unsatisfied with anything less. You created me to live in a close relationship with You. May I hunger, starve even, when I neglect to nurture and feed that relationship. God, keep me forever eager to grow in the knowledge and love of You. May I live always in the light of eternity.

Amen

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The Door

Daily Reading

2Samuel 19-21

Daily Thought

David mourns the loss of his son, crying aloud, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2Samuel 18:33; 19:4). Who can fault a father his grief, but it lingers too long and too loud, and Joab are pointedly true, “You have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased” (2Samuel 19:6).

Death is grievous, and should be. It is the last enemy (1Corinthians 15:26). But there is a particularly awful agony in the loss of a son you never really had, whose death was as pointless as his life. King David the father mourns the life and death of his rebellious, disobedient son, and in doing so, pours scorn on the faithful people who had well-served their king.

What a contrast to the death of another son of David, “who humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death–even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8). God the Father celebrates the life and death of his righteous, obedient Son, who in dying provides salvation to the sinful people who crucified their King.

To a life lived for today, death closes the door, but to a life lived for Jesus, death is the door into eternity.

Daily Prayer

God, Your salvation is amazing. I, a sinner, was not looking to be saved, but rather, I was a self-seeking man, longing to be self-satisfied. I could not, however, find satisfaction, contentment, peace, love, purpose in my pursuits. I needed a Savior.

Your Son left His place by Your side and became like me to show me who You are. He  sought me, saved me, and showed me true love. He laid down His life to give me mine. No greater love.

Thank You