Good morning,
Can roaring flames and billowing smoke put out the sun? This month when Marty and I went north for a quick visit to one of our sons, we found ourselves driving through the mountains in such heavy smoke that we did well to see the road and a few hundred feet around us in each direction. We knew from previous trips that we were surrounded by beautiful scenery, but we had no visual proof on that days trip. There was some light, but we never saw the sun. That part of the trip reminded me of what we are facing as we travel through our present journey through time. We are facing challenges and confusion in our personal and global world that do the work of raging fires or towering storm clouds. As God’s people the Jews, and the Body of Christ, the Christians around the world, face growing hatred and violent opposition, our Enemy does his best to get us self focused and fearful. He wants us to live as though there is no Son in our world today. When Paul was writing to the church at Corinth he put it this way. “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (1Cor. 15:19) Satan wants us to forget that the Son is always there, always giving us the light we need and that he is preparing a place for us where there is no night.
Then Paul goes on to say, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” We dare not forget that whether our world is chaotic or calm, whether life is short or long, whether we are weak or strong, the Son of God is with us every step of the way. Every generation is born and then in due time dies. We are here in life so that we may choose the focus for our life. Will we live in fear and struggle to keep life under our control or will we live by faith in the Son of God and allow him to lead us through all the challenges of our lives? Paul knew what was involved in living a hard, long, pain filled and joy filled life. Paul gave up his life to and for the Son of God. Paul knew the joy that comes with trusting and obeying the Light of his life. What kept Paul going, and us as well, is knowing that our life in the Son is an eternal life. Paul reminded Timothy and us that when we get home, our eternal home, the Son , the righteous Judge, will give us an eternal prize. He and we will be given the crown of righteousness as the prize for all of those who live their lives looking forward to seeing the face and feeling the love of the Son of God. May that be so for each of us reading this today.
2 Timothy 4: 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
Roy Wisner
