He's always with us when we choose to really live.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. - Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV)
It's truly amazing when we look at the world around us these days. There is so much anger and so many people going about their lives seemingly noticing nothing around them but what they seek for themselves. Yet, at the same time, we find others who seem at peace and calm, it's as if they know who they are, where they are going and how things will turn out.
I can't speak for everyone in that second category, but I can honestly say that if you are a true believing Christian, meaning you try as hard as you can to live your life for our Lord, then that peace and calm is a natural result in the storm that is earthly life. Christ's teachings make it clear that if we believe in Him by faith, we will live forever with Him. And while that doesn't mean that things will be easy and that we won't face pain and suffering in this life on earth, it does mean that when this life is done we will join Him in Glory. And even in our pain and suffering, He will give us the strength to "hang in there" knowing that our lifetime on earth is a mere dot on the timeline of eternal life.
Make no mistake about it. In our earthly life others will scorn us, ridicule us, harm us and possibly even kill us, but what is an earthly life worth if it ends in darkness? And what is it worth if we succumb to the temptations of this world and become slaves of our own mortal weaknesses? Whether it be greed, power, lust, hate or anything else that consumes us on earth, we will become slaves to it and it will bring us down. And if we don't wake up and realize the truth before it is too late, a dark and sinister eternity will await us instead of one with warmth, love and beauty. The truth that we must recognize is that Jesus Christ is our Lord and the only one who can fulfill the promise of what we really need, not our wants.
As the verse from Deuteronomy above says, God has given us life and death on this earth and in those days it involved following His Law. That is still the case today regarding earthly life. But with the coming of Christ, a new opportunity was given us, an opportunity to be forgiven for our sins which would also afford us an eternal life when this one is done. If we break the chains of slavery to sin, open our hearts to the power of the Holy Spirit within us and use it to connect us to a life in Jesus, the ultimate in living will become ours. And it starts right here on earth when the commitment to Him through faith begins by humbly accepting his forgiveness. Then the Forgiver of all Sins will gladly welcome our call for membership in the greatest treasure that could ever be ours: a permanent life with Jesus.
That is something that I, for one, don't want to miss out on. How about you?
It's truly amazing when we look at the world around us these days. There is so much anger and so many people going about their lives seemingly noticing nothing around them but what they seek for themselves. Yet, at the same time, we find others who seem at peace and calm, it's as if they know who they are, where they are going and how things will turn out.
I can't speak for everyone in that second category, but I can honestly say that if you are a true believing Christian, meaning you try as hard as you can to live your life for our Lord, then that peace and calm is a natural result in the storm that is earthly life. Christ's teachings make it clear that if we believe in Him by faith, we will live forever with Him. And while that doesn't mean that things will be easy and that we won't face pain and suffering in this life on earth, it does mean that when this life is done we will join Him in Glory. And even in our pain and suffering, He will give us the strength to "hang in there" knowing that our lifetime on earth is a mere dot on the timeline of eternal life.
Make no mistake about it. In our earthly life others will scorn us, ridicule us, harm us and possibly even kill us, but what is an earthly life worth if it ends in darkness? And what is it worth if we succumb to the temptations of this world and become slaves of our own mortal weaknesses? Whether it be greed, power, lust, hate or anything else that consumes us on earth, we will become slaves to it and it will bring us down. And if we don't wake up and realize the truth before it is too late, a dark and sinister eternity will await us instead of one with warmth, love and beauty. The truth that we must recognize is that Jesus Christ is our Lord and the only one who can fulfill the promise of what we really need, not our wants.
As the verse from Deuteronomy above says, God has given us life and death on this earth and in those days it involved following His Law. That is still the case today regarding earthly life. But with the coming of Christ, a new opportunity was given us, an opportunity to be forgiven for our sins which would also afford us an eternal life when this one is done. If we break the chains of slavery to sin, open our hearts to the power of the Holy Spirit within us and use it to connect us to a life in Jesus, the ultimate in living will become ours. And it starts right here on earth when the commitment to Him through faith begins by humbly accepting his forgiveness. Then the Forgiver of all Sins will gladly welcome our call for membership in the greatest treasure that could ever be ours: a permanent life with Jesus.
That is something that I, for one, don't want to miss out on. How about you?
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