“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” DANIEL 12:2
During the normal course of our busy lives, it is all too easy to neglect God and His Word. However, life—with its dangers and unknowns, with the questions that continually arise and decisions to be made, and with the inevitable losses and hurts—can make us acknowledge our need for Almighty God and look beyond ourselves to Him. Sadly, many people reach the end of their days having not done so. There is a hauntingly stark contrast between the passing of those who oppose God and those who trust in Him. The person who defies God can expect a lonely eternity of dark separation from the Giver of life and Forgiver of sins. God’s faithful children, however, can look forward to the welcoming embrace of their loving Lord and heavenly Father. Daniel 12:2 is the most unambiguous reference to the afterlife found in the Old Testament. (Isaiah 26:19 provides a less-specific example.) Scripture makes it clear: people who follow God are vindicated, and those who oppose Him are delivered into eternal punishment. What are you anticipating will happen at the end of your days? - Blackaby Being Still with God
Take a step off the street of life. Stick your head out and look up and down the road you are on. Look back as far as your eyes can see. Is there any signs that you see that show who you really have lived for? Do you see evidence that you have been with Jesus? That He's been with you?
This day you are being granted a brief respite. You are being granted a moment's pause in the busyness of your day to reevaluate your condition.
In this moment you have chosen to read this post, God is allowing you to take a look at who you're living for. Is it Jesus or you? Is it your family or friends or are you living for Jesus? You cannot and should not put any above your relationship with Jesus.
Is your job, your hobbies, your wish list of things to accomplish in your life, more important than your relationship with Jesus? Jesus said clearly that if we love any of these, including family and friends, more than Him we aren't worthy of Him.
It's not likely going to be part of too many conversations in Heaven of regrets at places not gone to or sights not seen. It's not likely that failure to experience foods or anything will be as important as who we will finally be with.
So the question is: What's your life going to say about you?
Consider Luke 10:16 "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; but the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Is being about the Father's business to do with much of what we occupy our lives with? The context of that passage has to do with the 72 who were sent out as Witnesses for Jesus. They had arrived back and were giving their report. I believe Jesus was trying to get across to them and us the seriousness if receiving Christ or rejecting Him. Of what obedience accomplished in them for obeying His orders.
We are living in a world of distractions.
All tailored to our wandering minds!
There is nothing new under the sun as Ecclesiastes says. I believe that pre-flood Earth in all its evil living, was even more consumed with lustful desires and destruction than we even see today.
I believe that when the Rapture happens, the world will be at the same level of evil as when Noah entered the Ark. Jesus called out the Jewish leaders for saying they claim they wouldn't have been like their ancestors who killed and murdered the Prophets and those sent by God. Jesus said He was going to send them the same and they WOULD be murdering them just as their ancestors did. The same.
In your sidestep off the road of your life, what do you see? Is your life's desires more important than your obedience to God? I readily admit mine fight me daily.
My desires are always at odds with what God's wanting of me. I then am confused, but not, as to why life is the way it is. I both know yet do not as to the reasons for my condition.
I am an avid reader. Choosing first to read things that are from Godly men. I relish silence and solitude. Yet also life happens and I must be among people. I have an inventor's mind. Ideas come at odd times and because of odd reasons. Keeping focus sometimes isn't easy.
But I do strive to walk with God in all that I do. At work or at home. I plead with Jesus to go before me in battle. To lead the way before I enter where I work.
If you are taking an honest look at your life, do you see evidence of Jesus being with you or going before you?
Will you be ashamed when you stand before Christ? To be honest, I am not sure exactly how I will be before Jesus. Bart Millard's "I Can Only Imagine" hits me where I live. Will I stand before Christ or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah or say at all?
What about you? In your looking at your life, what's been seen as the most important thing to you? Have you put people or things above your relationship with Jesus? That's for you to acknowledge. For you to determine. If you are being honest that is. We are indeed to love family and friends and strangers, but remember the 1st commandment isn't that one. The first is Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and Spirit. Doesn't say "some", says "all".
As you step back out into your life, take a moment to ask God to show you what He sees when He looks at you. Your answer might surprise you.
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