3 August 2020
Devotion
What would you prefer... to get to live in mansion for 1 day, but then be homeless for the rest of the year? Or be homeless for a day, then get to live in a mansion all year? Obviously, the 2nd one. It makes sense to care about what lasts longer. Plus, you can get through anything if it only lasts a day. Especially if it has long-term rewards. Well here's the thing...this life feels like it's forever, but it's not! In fact, compared to forever, it is literally like only a day. This world, this life, and everything in it, is temporary. But eternity is forever— it matters way more! If you believe in Jesus, you are living for eternity in Heaven! The best news! But hell is also an eternal reality for those who have rejected God and His Way. So being aware of eternity should definitely change our priorities for today. Jesus said that He came from Heaven and was going back to Heaven. He only came to earth for a limited time and for a specific purpose. Because of that, He lived with an eternal perspective and had such different priorities from everyone else. But that's us too! We need to realise that we are alive on earth for a limited time and a specific purpose. This life is not about right now, but about eternity. We can't take our money or our good-looks to Heaven with us... but we can take others! How are we going to live our lives to impact other people's eternity? As you read these scriptures today, think about your life, the things you go through, but also the people around you. Are you living with eternal perspective? How can what you do today impact someone else's forever?
Scripture
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT)
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
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