I guess I have finally come of age. I am old enough to live in a retirement village! My son calls it 'the reservation' and my husband makes bad jokes like 'it can't be that great, everyone's dying to get out'. It is a blessing to have lived long enough to 'qualify' for retirement living.
Just this week I had a conversation with a 53 year old friend whose body is riddled with metastatic cancer and she is now in heart failure. I asked her if she is prepared to die. She knows her days are numbered apart from a miracle but she is well prepared to die. Her affairs are all in order, her funeral service and songs are prepared and she knows that she is heaven bound without one doubt. It doesn't make leaving her 21 year old son any easier, but she knows she can entrust him to the care of her faithful and loving God. My question to you is....are you ready to die? Every breath is a gift from God and never guaranteed.
As I watch the deteriorating state of our world; the many countries in political chaos or being destroyed by wars, the degradation of sections of society who think they are being 'progressive', the increasing lack of respect for authority and the growth of anxiety and depression, especially in our young people, I am not surprised at the hopelessness that abounds. But there is hope to be had.
This morning I had a conversation with a young man about the mad scramble in the world to 'save the planet'. We both agreed that it is impossible and unnecessary. Now there's a statement! But it's true. It doesn't mean we don't need to try to clean up our act and do our part but we know from reading the Bible that creation groans with us as we watch what is happening.....
'...what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved.' Romans 8:18-24
This earth is going to be destroyed......'The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.' 2 Peter 3:9-10
My second question is.....are you sure of your eternal destiny? Are you saved? You can be sure without one doubt. These verses talk about God being patient, delaying 'the day of the Lord', (the second coming of Jesus Christ), because he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed, but that they repent. That means a change of heart, acknowledgement of our need of forgiveness for believing that we can be good enough for heaven by living a good life, that we don't need God.
It's like this......
'God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.' Ephesians 2:8-9
This is rather lengthy because it is increasingly on my heart to share the truth about the urgency of the days in which we live and the need to tell people God's truth. I hope you will think about this, and if you can't answer a confident yes to these questions I hope you will pray this prayer. If you do, please let me know and also share this message with those you care about.
PRAYER: Dear God, help me to understand your truth. Please forgive my sin. I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is your Son who died to obtain forgiveness for me. I believe that He rose from the dead and will come again one day to take me to Himself. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you. Amen
