Will we live with God in eternity? If we leave this life in a right relationship with God, we will hear Him say, “Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21). But if not, we will hear, “I never knew you; depart from Me” (Matthew 7:23).
Why do we do what we do for God? If no one ever noticed or thanked us, would we be content simply to know that God had been glorified? Too often, what we’re really seeking is some (special) person’s “recognition” that we’re a good individual.
God makes it possible that those who “sow in tears shall reap in joy.” We might wish the harvest were already here, but that time is not yet. For all we know, it may be very near, but for now, the harvest is still in the future. We live in hope!
Our redemption won’t be accomplished if we’re not willing to know God as He truly is, and it’s primarily in the language of the Scriptures that He reveals Himself as He truly is. The only question is: what will we do with this information?
We’ve been forgiven of sins that we didn’t deserve to have forgiven. God has been patient with us, far past the point when justice would have blasted us out of existence. But do we “repay according to the favor shown” to us? Too often, we do not.
We need to be grateful for the hopes, aspirations, and desires that God has planted within our hearts — and we need to be willing for those desires to be fulfilled on His terms. If not, we’re on a path that leads to disappointment in the end.
Any time God is involved, “it ain’t over till it’s over,” and many more good things may turn up than we, or anyone else, could have produced or predicted. The race may look like it’s lost, but still be won — despite our lack of swiftness.
At all times, God is certainly with us — supporting and helping us to do what is right, whether or not it feels that way to us emotionally. And so, in darkness, doubt, and difficulty, we need to hang on to our faith and simply refuse to turn back.
When what we are frustrates us, we shouldn’t give up on ourselves. One day, we will be glorious creatures, but we’re not there yet. For now, the most that can be said is that we’re becoming the persons we were created to be. But that is saying a lot!
As we live and wait for the Lord’s return, the passage of time will seem much shorter if we live out our sojourn in hope. It may, in fact, be many days until we see Him, but if our heart is where it needs to be, it will only seem to be a few days.
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