We Are Made for Another World—for Eternity with God!
“But whatever things [yes, everything else]
were gain to me,
these things I have counted as loss
because of Christ.
More than that,
I count all things to be loss [everything is worthless
when compared to God’s Salvation]
in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, [with the intimate value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord]
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, [for the sake of Christ, I have discarded everything else]
and count them mere rubbish, [counting it all as garbage]
so that I may gain Christ, . . .” [gain—CHRIST JESUS as LORD]
(Philippians 3: 7-8 NASB 2020)
This week, I was fortunate to receive a few things:
- An amazing godly message delivered.
- A Sunday lunch shared.
- A read-behind blog partner, a true blessing from God!
- Satisfaction for a job well done.
- A dinner party & extra veggies in the fridge when mishaps occur.
- Selection to an important committee, of which I am most humbled to serve.
- A family that prays for one another & helps one another.
- An opportunity to speak of God’s blessing of teaching as a ministry.
- A sister-in-law who loves me just as I am.
- A church family that loves.
- A care center visit that reminds me of the beautiful simplicity of life.
- A job offer for the same teaching position at a high school I love & with a faculty & staff I absolutely adore.
- Friendships with so many others, from all walks of life, such an amazing blessing.
- Conversations.
- Laughter.
- Coffee-dates & scheduled dates for more to come.
- Photos sent to me of those I dearly love.
- Gorgeous photos of God’s earth.
- An opportunity to visit with my girls.
- My son-in-law’s smile, so big, covering his face as he looks at my daughter.
- A husband who seems giddy for his holiday break away from work.
- A best friend’s long hug.
- A boss who is given the allowance to pray over our meetings before we begin.
- Former Students. Current Students. Future Students.
- Nieces who value the power of prayer.
- A hug from my mom.
- Life given to live and enjoy.
On & On & On—the list goes on, and even more blessings could be added. Yes, God is so ever-good, blessing us over and again. We are able to count them (our blessings) daily, and we should; nevertheless, I am confronted this day by this truth.
We Are Made for Another World—for Eternity with God!
We need people.
We need daily tasks.
We need friendships.
We need a place to rest.
We need food and clothing.
We need shoes to protect our feet.
We need education & knowledge that comes with reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, and the rest of the courses provided by our teachers.
We need healthy lifestyles & a well-balanced walk through our years.
We need quality air to breathe & quality words proceeding from our mouth and heart.
We NEED!
We NEED SO MUCH!
Nevertheless, we never NEED anything so much as we need a personal relationship with Christ Jesus, the Son of God!
JESUS.
Former atheist, who is now a faithful follower of God, a believer & a Christian—C. S. Lewis once wrote:
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy,
the more probable explanation is that—
“I was made for another world.”
- Are we keeping our eyes upon the eternal things we have gained as followers of Jesus?
- Are we striving each day to share our faith?
- Are we telling others our stories about how Jesus changed our heart?
- Are we testifying of the goodness of God?
- Are we counting everything as “rubbish” & as “garbage” BUT “knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”?
- Are we focused upon heaven more than we are focused upon earth?
- Are we looking for Jesus to return—today?
- Are we hopeful HE will return—today?
- Are we, despite what we have upon our calendar, hopeful we see Jesus—today?
We Are Made for Another World—for Eternity with God!
In writing, the apostle Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to write—
“Make every effort to come to me soon; . . . [Paul wrote to Timothy]
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, [Paul knew the presence of the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within him]
so that through me [Paul’s personal testimony of the way God saved his soul from eternal separation apart from God]
the proclamation [the Gospel message]
might be fully accomplished, [Praise God! Jesus will come to earth again to bring home to heaven the redeemed!]
and that all the Gentiles might hear; [Today is the day for mankind to hear & be saved!]
and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. [rescued out of Satan’s claws of destruction]
The Lord will rescue me [HALLELUJAH!]
from every evil deed, [the devil throws at us as fiery darts]
and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; [Yes, Heaven Awaits the Redeemed Ones—the Ones Who Accept, Believe, & Confess Christ Jesus as LORD!]
to Him be the glory forever and ever. [FOREVERMORE, WE WILL PRAISE OUR KING!]
Amen.”
(2 Timothy 4: 9 & 17-18 NASB 2020)
We Are Made for Another World—for Eternity with God!
- May we be ever-thankful for all the ways God has blessed us in our earthly lives! &
- May we keep our eyes upon Jesus’ return—for us!
- May we be ready—when He comes for us! &
- May we always remember—this is NOT our eternal home!