At
times, living for the sake of the Kingdom of God will take some sacrifice on
our part; however, we will gain so much more in this life, than we give up now,
as well as in our eternal life in the age to come (Luke 18:29-30).
We
will reap the assurance of the things we hoped for by faith, and the honest conviction
of the things we cannot even see in this natural world (Hebrews 11:1). One
sacrifice I had to make was not seeing my grandchildren very often.
They
live in Missouri, and I lived in the southern-most tip of Florida on the border
of the Everglades. Recently, however, God moved us to within three hours of
where they live, and I am able to see them more often when our schedules
coincide.
God
used us to further His Kingdom in south Florida, and also now in southern
Illinois - where I am now able to spend more time with my grandchildren. However,
I long to be involved in their lives on a daily basis.
I
did not want to be satisfied with an occasional visit, or an eternal
perspective on this issue. I wanted to be with them now, as well as in
eternity. This realization made me recognize yet another level of attachment to
this world, which remained entrenched in my soul.
This
thought caused the Holy Spirit to drench me with a double dose of conviction. After
over 40 years of walking with God on an intimate basis, I found one more area
of my life still way too attached to this earthly realm.
Sure,
I have no affection for material possessions, worldly success, or recognition
of any kind. Now, however, I realized that part of me is still very much bound
to this world - the grandma part of me.
Prayer:
Father
God, You are not as interested in our natural family as You are in our
spiritual family (Mark 10:29-30, Luke 18: 29-30, and Matthew 19:29; Luke 21:16,
17). Jesus felt this same distance from His own friends and family; and the
servant is not greater than her Lord (John 15:20).
In
eternity, You will free us from all of these natural barriers and conditions
that strap us to this earthly sphere. The moment we are absent from this body,
we will be present with You, Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), and we will know and be
known for eternity (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Thought
for the Day:
God’s
reality looks nothing like our earthly existence; and we rely on the Lord to
give us both the desire and the power to live out His will for us while we
remain in this realm, regardless of the circumstances in our life.
-
Philippians 2:12-13
