While sitting outside at a Veteran’s Day celebration, we all
glanced skyward to view the Sheriff Department's fly-over. In the thrill of
this meaningful moment, I also noticed a majestic kettle of vultures.
Their wings spanned forty-eight inches and never flapped,
as they soared on invisible wind currents. One of these birds nose-dived to the
earth and landed within a few feet of me.
Once I recovered from the shock of his sudden close
proximity to my chair, I realized that what I always thought was a beautiful,
agile bird of prey actually had an awkward and grotesquely revolting
appearance.
This reminded me of our unsaved heart. We disguise our
disfigured soul within us with an outward coat of cosmetics and brightly
colored clothing. Yet, we remain nothing more than whitewashed tombs (Matthew
23:27-28).
The good news is that Christ died to make us a new creation
(2 Corinthians 5:17). Our spirit is washed anew in the blood of the Lamb of God
(Revelation 22:14). Through His sanctifying work, God's Spirit makes our soul
beautiful in His timing and way (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
On this earth, God's Spirit crucifies our soul and frees
us from slavery to sin. He makes us holy and frees us from the bondage and
destruction, through which sin hinders and overwhelms us.
He unites us with Christ through the new birth and
provides us with the blessings and promises of eternity both in this life and
the next. He frees us from dwelling on our past or fearing the future (Isaiah
43:18).
In heaven, He will glorify our body by giving us an
immortal existence with Him forever. We look forward to a body free of age-related
issues, illness and fatigue.
We look forward to continuing to live in God's presence,
adding the physical existence to our soul and spirit's enjoyment of His
presence now. Our salvation will be complete in body, as well as in spirit and
soul, and we will dwell with Him for eternity.
Prayer:
Father God, we live in Christ with Christ in us, and
death has no more mastery over us. We also die to sin and live for You. Then in
eternity, You glorify our body and provide us with immortality for our body, as
well as our spirit and soul (Romans 6:4-11).
Thank You for forgetting who we used to be and giving us
a new identity in Christ (Isaiah 65:17). You give us a new heart and put Your
Spirit within us (Ezekiel 36:26). We rejoice at the thought of seeing Your
Kingdom in all of its glory, since we are born by the blood of Your unblemished
Lamb (John 3:3).
Thought for the Day:
God buries our old, carnal nature in Christ by baptizing
us into His death; then He sanctifies us through one stage of glory to another
and gives us a new, resurrected life.
