Hello , Going somewhere?
"For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. The LORD says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" Psalm 32:7-8, NLT.
Are you going somewhere?
Many folks enjoy traveling but do they remember the Lord while doing so? Do they attend services where they visit? I hope so. The Lord never leaves us, and we should always be with the Lord in everything we do, wherever we go. The examples in Acts show saints worshipping in their travels. They made it a point to do that, and they learned much scripture during their journeys. We also benefit in spirit by worshipping on the Lord's Day wherever we are.
But there's another kind of travel.
Some saints give it all up. And unfortunately, their heavenly journey is interrupted by the call of the world, really, by the call of the devil. The world, through the devil, offers shiny things, but in the end, those things only bring death - spiritual death, which means hell. So they leave the church, their Lord, and their Father. Some outright forsake the church, while others leave, offering mostly flimsy excuses. Blessed are those who die in the Lord, states Revelation 14:13. Those who die without the Lord cannot expect heaven.
So stay with the Lord where the blessings are.
Since Revelation 14:13 tells us we are blessed if we die in the Lord, it makes all the sense in the world to stay with Him. And that means through thick and thin. First Peter 1:7 relates how we must undergo suffering, burn off the dross, and come out shining for heaven. Jesus said the way home is difficult and with many obstacles, Matthew 7:13-14. Since He said that, we understand the truth of it. But we also expect the joy of heaven at the end of our journey.
Stay with the Lord in this life to be with Him in the next life.
Father, without You, this life means nothing. If there is no hope of heaven, then we should live for ourselves, but we know, Father, the promises You have made to us. We believe in the testimony of the scriptures. Your words are the words of life. So, we know we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Thereby, we know where our journey ends and where the next journey begins. Thank You for walking with us, showing us the way home. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In Your son's name, amen!
This message is from Garland Van Dyke at Bible Points!Matthews St. church of ChristPO Box 1522, Bay City, TX 774141915 Matthews Street, Bay City, TX 77414(979) 318-2463Contact me at [email protected]www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchristWant your own copy of our devotional in your inbox? biblepoints.org/bible-points(It's twice weekly and we don't bombard you with stuff!)
