Did you watch the Penn State/Michigan State Football game? How about the Penn State/LSU game? How are you feeling? Frustrated? Sad? Mad? Is there a dark cloud hanging over your head? Our Happy Valley is not so happy today. So close, but no cigar. Mostly due to poor coaching decisions and lack of depth. Fortunately, my future is not hanging in my ability to win victories! Not in the natural and not in the spiritual realm either.
We have an enemy, but our commander is greater! The enemy makes plans but the Lord destroys them. He causes us always to triumph through Christ, who won the victory over our enemy on Calvary. Does that mean that we never have a contest, that we will never have need to step on the battlefield? NO! Even though the battle of Jericho was pre-determined, Israel had to march around for 7 days in obedience to the Lord's instruction. But they were already promised the land so their victory was already secured, their history already written. Gideon was promised victory but he still had to gather an army and show up for the battle. I love when the Bible tells of the many ways that God would confound the enemy and cause them to turn on themselves while Israel stood and watched.
God knows the end from the beginning and when He chooses to let us in on that, we must also be like Israel. We must obey His instruction. We must show up to the battle prepared to use the weapons that we have been given to wage war and win! We must leave the details and the timing up to Him without losing faith in the midst of the battle. And we must keep the end in our eye's view.
In the last couple of years, God laid some things on my heart. Then He confirmed what He had spoken to me in several different ways, just so that I would know for sure that He said them. Yet still, in the midst of the battle, I was tempted to listen to instructions and earthly wisdom other than what He had spoken because it appeared that I was losing on all sides. But when I would get alone with God and He would speak those things again, I would remember to believe Him, no matter what. God does not go back on His Word. He said to me over and over again, "Remember what I said at first! That is what I'm going to do."
We can't always explain why things happen. Some things will never make any sense. And that's okay. If God has spoken about them, then that is all we need to know and that is where our thoughts need to be centered as we stand and see the Lord work out His Word in His way and in His time. And no matter how bad things may get here, this is not the end.
We are not of this world. We're just passing through. Our home is in a whole other Kingdom. Once God's plan for earth is complete and we enter into the fullness of eternity, all that we experienced, accomplished, and suffered here on earth will be no more than a blink of an eye. There is something beyond what we could ever imagine waiting for us there. Something good!
So when I face things in life, I stop and ask myself if this will affect eternity. Do I need to take up my sword and go to the battle or is this really not going to be important in the end? Oh how much worry and stress and discontentment we would save ourselves if we did this. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters in this world is souls and the Word of God.
I don't know about you but thinking about eternity comforts me. Everything there will be right and perfect and beautiful. It will be beyond my wildest dream. And it will last forever! And that makes what I face here on earth seem a little less daunting. God is with me now and I will be with Him forever! There is coming a culmination day when I will stand in front of the Lord Jesus Christ and He will say to me, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest." Oh, what a day that will be!
Today, I am thankful for an eternal perspective.
We have an enemy, but our commander is greater! The enemy makes plans but the Lord destroys them. He causes us always to triumph through Christ, who won the victory over our enemy on Calvary. Does that mean that we never have a contest, that we will never have need to step on the battlefield? NO! Even though the battle of Jericho was pre-determined, Israel had to march around for 7 days in obedience to the Lord's instruction. But they were already promised the land so their victory was already secured, their history already written. Gideon was promised victory but he still had to gather an army and show up for the battle. I love when the Bible tells of the many ways that God would confound the enemy and cause them to turn on themselves while Israel stood and watched.
God knows the end from the beginning and when He chooses to let us in on that, we must also be like Israel. We must obey His instruction. We must show up to the battle prepared to use the weapons that we have been given to wage war and win! We must leave the details and the timing up to Him without losing faith in the midst of the battle. And we must keep the end in our eye's view.
In the last couple of years, God laid some things on my heart. Then He confirmed what He had spoken to me in several different ways, just so that I would know for sure that He said them. Yet still, in the midst of the battle, I was tempted to listen to instructions and earthly wisdom other than what He had spoken because it appeared that I was losing on all sides. But when I would get alone with God and He would speak those things again, I would remember to believe Him, no matter what. God does not go back on His Word. He said to me over and over again, "Remember what I said at first! That is what I'm going to do."
We can't always explain why things happen. Some things will never make any sense. And that's okay. If God has spoken about them, then that is all we need to know and that is where our thoughts need to be centered as we stand and see the Lord work out His Word in His way and in His time. And no matter how bad things may get here, this is not the end.
We are not of this world. We're just passing through. Our home is in a whole other Kingdom. Once God's plan for earth is complete and we enter into the fullness of eternity, all that we experienced, accomplished, and suffered here on earth will be no more than a blink of an eye. There is something beyond what we could ever imagine waiting for us there. Something good!
So when I face things in life, I stop and ask myself if this will affect eternity. Do I need to take up my sword and go to the battle or is this really not going to be important in the end? Oh how much worry and stress and discontentment we would save ourselves if we did this. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters in this world is souls and the Word of God.
I don't know about you but thinking about eternity comforts me. Everything there will be right and perfect and beautiful. It will be beyond my wildest dream. And it will last forever! And that makes what I face here on earth seem a little less daunting. God is with me now and I will be with Him forever! There is coming a culmination day when I will stand in front of the Lord Jesus Christ and He will say to me, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest." Oh, what a day that will be!
Today, I am thankful for an eternal perspective.
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