Her little face was graced with a slight grin. "And we will all live with Him...together?" "Yep, everyone who loves God will all be with Him." I could tell her little wheels were just turning. Later that evening she brought two pictures to me while I was cooking dinner, "Mommy, I colored these for Jesus. I am going to give them to Him when He comes. Will it be soon?" Aren't kids precious?
This morning I read a statement by John Piper--yes, he is a regular in my devotion time. He says, "Hope and love do not come from nowhere. They grow out of ideas--views of reality." Isn't this so true? I am writing a chapter right now discussing the absolute influence that our thoughts have over our attitudes and eventually our words and actions. So the question becomes, what are we filling our minds with--distorted beliefs from our culture or the truth of God? Hope and love grow out of "ideas revealed in the Scriptures and applied in the power of God's Spirit."
If we want a life of hope, peace, and love then we have to know God's truth. He is the Creator of your life, my life, this world, "evryfing" as my kids would say. He knows all. I know I harp on this point but it has proved ever-faithful in my own pursuit of peace and hope: we must be in His Word. His truths bring life to our weary bones. Though there will be times where He instructs us to do things in complete opposition to our feelings, obedience will lead to blessing. It just will.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren (and sisters), be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58)
My dad always said, "When you see a 'therefore' ask what it is there for." The reason Paul encouraged believers to be steadfast and immovable was because of the hope found in the resurrection of Christ--He has conquered death and one of these days we will rejoice, "Death is swallowed up in victory."
So go ahead, marinate in His truth. Take on His views. Ask for His wisdom. Then color Him a picture. One day He will return.
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