A New Birth And A Living Hope In Christ

"Today's Devotion" For April 16, 2005

Read: I Peter 1:3-9; II Samuel 23:1-5

A NEW BIRTH AND A LIVING HOPE IN CHRIST

"In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade-kept in heaven for you." (I Pet.1:3b-4)

As I noted a couple of days ago a pastor went to heaven earlier this week. He was the father of a couple of friends of mine, both of whom are also pastors. Last night I went to the church this pastor-father had pastored for many, many years for the visitation. I had the opportunity to share the sadness of my friends at the loss of their father and the joy they have that he's now with Jesus in heaven. Staring at death as I viewed the body in the casket, I realized once again that I'm kind of hung up on life. I like living. Life is a marvelous, wonderful thing. As I look around me I see birds, animals, the greening of the earth in the spring and the coloring of the leaves in the fall, the bright, warm summer days, and the cold, blustery, snowy days of winter, the fish jumping in the lake, and I hear the sounds of bullfrogs--I could go on and on--all of which remind me how beautiful life is. God's creation is a marvelous thing, and in spite of the fact that people do their level best to destroy it with pollution, litter, and other indignities, living as a part of God's creation is a wonderful, marvelous opportunity and privilege..

Unfortunately, living on this earth is a transitory thing. No matter that we may live as long as a hundred or so years (only a relatively few of the billions of people on earth), we still are all going to die unless Jesus returns on the Judgment Day before we die. Death is the result of Sin, not only separating us from life, but also putting a barrier up between us and God. While it's a sad thing that we must die and leave God's beautiful creation, it's not the end of our world. In Jesus' death on the Cross in order to take away the curse of Sin, Death, and Satan, and their power over our lives, we have God's promise that we will live with Him forever. The very faith we need in Jesus Christ as our Savior from Sin and the Lord of the Universe is God's own gift to us. There is an inheritance reserved for us in heaven which can't be affected by pollution, litter, or any other destructive force. It's something we await with eager longing.

A little boy came home from school one day with a high fever. His father thought it was nothing more than a cold or the flu, but the little boy rapidly deteriorated. The father rushed him to the doctor who finally diagnosed a virulent form of meningitis. The doctor finally could no longer avoid letting the father know that his son was going to die. Loving his son with all his heart, the father kept a death vigil at the little boy's hospital bed. In the middle of the day it was apparent that his son was rapidly losing his strength and his brain was getting cloudy. "Daddy," he said, "It's getting dark, very dark." A little later he said, "Daddy, I guess it's time to go to sleep, isn't it?" The father responded, "Yes, Son, it's time for you to go to sleep." The father fluffed his pillows, tucked him in, and laid his hand on his head. "Good night, Daddy," the boy said, "I'll see you in the morning." Then he closed his eyes and stepped into heaven. As he tells this story, the father always closes it saying, "I can't wait till morning." May our Lord lead us to be eagerly "waiting for the morning" when we will see Him in heaven.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, don't let me get so hung up on living on this earth that I fail to realize my home is in heaven. Help me to relish and enjoy the life You have given me and to live it in such a way that I serve You faithfully, serve others in your name, and put every gift and ability You've given me to the very best use. Don't let me fear death but let me live a life that rejoices in Your blessings and waits for the morning when I will be with You in heaven. Hear my prayer precious Savior and grant it for Your name's sake. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.