If we follow instructions.
Imagine you are growing up in a poor family, never having enough to eat, or warm clothes to wear – not even always sure if you will have a roof over your head. Then the richest man in the world comes to you and says, “You are going to continue having rough times for the next 10 years, but after that, if you will follow my instructions, you will become one of the wealthiest people in the world. You will never need anything again. All your needs will be met and you will have an abundance of everything. Plus, no one will ever hurt you again.” We all would jump at that opportunity, wouldn’t we?
That offer is a lot like the promise we have when we become children of God. Our problems may continue for the short time that we are living in mortal bodies, but we have a guarantee from the true Master of the Universe, that at the end of our time in this body, our future is secure for the rest of eternity. In the end, we win!
No more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
Revelation 21:3-4 says, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” (NLT)
Wow! It is hard to imagine a world where no one dies, no one is hurt by relationships, children aren’t abused, sex trafficking doesn’t exist, babies aren’t murdered, and everyone is well-fed and happy. That description is so different to the world we live in that it is hard to imagine! But nonetheless, it is what God has promised.
We will always have problems.
There is no question that in this life, we will have problems – sometimes severe problems. And they may last for many years. But this life is not where our hope lies. Here on earth we have an enemy who is constantly trying to defeat us, and the battle can be furious. But in the heat of the battle, it always helps to remember that our adversary, the devil, WILL be defeated. His fate is already settled.
Revelation 12:10-11 confirms this: Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” (NLT)
He knew us before we were born.
Again in 2 Peter 1:11 (NLT), we are assured of our eternal destiny: “Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
And this is the best part of all: We will forever be with the One who loved us so much that He was willing to die for us! – the one who formed us in our mothers’ wombs, (Psalm 139:13), who knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:6), who planned our lives from the beginning to the end (Jeremiah 29:11), who has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), who gives us rest and peace in the midst of our storms (John 16:33), who restores our soul (Psalm 23:3), who guides us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8), and loves us unconditionally (Romans 5:8)! It doesn’t get any better than that!!
And when we arrive at this wonderful place, we will live there forever! “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17
When the battle is over, we will be the winners!
So when you are struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, or find a job, or get along with a person who is really difficult – or maybe you are in the midst of a fiery trial, or you have received a horrible diagnosis from the doctor, or your spouse has left you, or you are trapped in an abusive relationship seemingly with no way out. Maybe you do not know where your next meal is coming from, or if you will ever see your loved one again, or how you will pay the bills.
Those are the times when we must find faith to believe that God has allowed these circumstances in our lives and He will use them to make us better. We must trust that His grace will be enough for any and every situation that we face. And we absolutely must remind ourselves that, in the grand scheme of things, we are in these fleshly bodies for a very short period of time. The end will come soon, and when the battle is over, we will be the winners!
In the meantime, stay on the Blessing Road! See you out there. 🙂
GUARD RAIL: Know that in the end, you will be with Jesus in heaven forever.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
Revelation 21:4 (NLT)