I realize I already posted a blog all about my day today, but this post I decided to write because it was my morning devotion that was right on for what I needed to hear...so I shall share.
August 09- "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it" Revelation 21:23.
Charles Spuregon writes:
Far away in the heaven the inhabitants are free from our earthy creature comforts. They have no need of new clothing, for their white robes never wear out, nor will they ever get dirty or stained. They have no need of medicine to heal diseases, for "No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill" (Is. 33:24). They do not need sleep to refresh their bodies; they rest neither day nor night, but untiringly praise the Lord in His temple. They do not need any social relationships to minister comfort to them, and whatever enjoyment they derive from their friends is not essential to their happiness, for their fellowship with the Lord is enough to meet their greatest desires. No doubt they discuss the things of God with one another, but they need no teachers, for the Lord himself instructs them.
Today we receive alms at the King's gate, but they feast at the King's table itself. Here we lean on a friends arm, but there they lean on their Beloved and Him alone. Here we must have the help of our friends, but there they find all they want in Jesus Christ. Here we look to meat that spoils for nourishment and to clothing that is eaten by moths for covering, but there they find everything in God. Here we use a bucket to fetch water from the well, there they drink of the living water directly from the Source of the fountain. Angels bring us blessings here, but there they need no messengers from heaven. They need no Gabriels to bring them love notes from God, for there they see Him "Face to face" (1 Cor 13:12).
Oh, what a blessed time that will be when we have risen above every meaningless earthly cause and will rest upon the are of God alone! What a glorious hour it will be when God and not His creatures, when the Lord and not His works will be our daily joy! Only then will our souls have attained the perfection of happiness."
I was quite convicted of this because before I had read this devotion this morning, I was writing someone on facebook and I started to say, "Now more than ever I am praying Maranatha (come Lord Jesus come). The sad thing though is that I think I am praying for this selfishly because I don't want to deal with certain things right now". As I wrote this, I reread it and felt awful...so I deleted it and thought, I should be praying Maranatha so I might see Him, not so that I don't have to do something. What's funny though is after reading this devotion I thought about things that I have been struggling with, like lack of communication with people I really want to talk to because that is our humanly need. Spurgeon showed me that I'm not the only one who needs those relationships to minister comfort, but more than that, I think that we can lean on the Beloved's arm even though we are not with Him yet. I mean, I think that's the blessing of our union with Christ. Yes, the Lord gives us friends, family and spouses for the very reason that we need people and we need people that can minister to us, but in times when we don't feel like we have much of it, we are not alone and apart from the Word which can also minster us comfort. But as I read what Spugeon wrote about our desire being not for earthly things ever but always for Christ I couldn't help but yearn for that so strongly. I don't want this life because He is so much greater. I think I can actually say, "Maranatha", not because of my circumstances, but because of my desire to be with my Lord finally. There are always things that people usually want before Jesus comes back, but these things are vain and earthly. I remember when I first started hearing about "The end times" as a little girl, I used to say, well, I don't want God to come back until I'm married and have kids. Even as a little girl I was foolish to think what I wanted mattered and more so, what I wanted was the end all. Although I think we all have desires as such, to say that we don't want the Lord to come back for a certain earthy thing in our lives is just a sinful desire and our desire should be for Him and His glory alone. So, while it's not bad to desire certain things, I must caution the depth to which we desire them. My boyfriend did a wonderful chapel a few months ago and in it, I remember him talking about this a little...about desiring certain things, such as marriage, before the Lord returns and I was really struck by it, though not as much as I am now. My desires have changed since then and even more so I am convicted of this truth more and more. Just some things to think about. Grace and Peace my friends <3
No comments:
Post a Comment