Finish Empty

“By this we know love, because

He laid down His life for us. And

we also ought to lay down our

lives for the brethren.”

     1 John 3:16 (NKJV)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you

present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable to God, which is

your reasonable service."

     Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

The greatest sacrifice in history was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But many have given their lives in protecting our country and defending the freedoms that we too often take for granted.  Although we may not ever be in a position to give the ultimate sacrifice, either in the military or as a citizen, we can give ourselves away as Christians to serve others and bring honor and glory to our Lord.

Sacrificial giving is a key concept in the Christian walk, exemplified by Jesus Christ.  We’re exhorted to finish the race strong and well, but perhaps we should also be mindful to finish empty—that is to give so much of our time, talent and treasure away that when our time on earth is finished, we know that we have done all we could for the cause of Christ. I don’t want to have regrets when I stand before the Lord to give an account one day, do you?

I encourage everyone to participate in a Memorial Day observance this weekend, to  remember and honor those who have been killed while in service to our country.

Thursday Devotional - Chasing after the Wind of Possessions

What is your favorite possession? Mine is my shiny black piano. In fact, I was very upset a couple years ago when James accidentally chipped one of the main keys when he happened to be throwing coins in the air. In fact, we now have a rule that nothing gets thrown in the air in the living room and no toy is to ever touch the piano. 😊

I don’t know what Solomon’s favorite possession was, but he certainly didn’t lack anything. Just as he didn’t find satisfaction from chasing after wisdom, wealth, pleasure or greatness, apart from God’s plans. He also found chasing after possessions equally meaningless, apart from God.

Ecclesiastes 2:17-25     ¹⁷ So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. ¹⁸ I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. ¹⁹ And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. ²⁰ So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. ²¹ For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.²² What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? ²³ All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

²⁴ A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,²⁵ for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

You’ve heard the sayings: “You can’t take it with you;” and “No u-haul behind a hearse.” Solomon had worked hard and accumulated much, but realized he wouldn’t take it with him and he had no control over what happened to it after he left.   

I do want to teach my children to take care of their property and especially treat other people’s property with care. However, it’s far more important I leave behind a spiritual legacy of faith and trust in God than a perfect piano! Their spiritual inheritance is eternal while their earthly inheritance is not.

Where else are you and I more focused on possessions (accumulating and protecting them) than on our relationship with God and the impact that has on others around us? Let’s focus on our eternal legacy! 

Alice

Goodness and love

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

The choir at my church had a Spring Cantata yesterday.  It was based off Psalm 23.  There are so many things I could pull out in this Psalm but the one part that really hit me was the last verse of the chapter. 

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The part that we don’t often focus on is the part “all the days of my life”.  It is in this lifetime that we are told that goodness and love will follow us.  It’s not after this life.  After this life is when we will dwell in the house of the Lord.  While there is a lot to look for after this lifetime, we still have a lot to live for in this lifetime as well. 

Have you stopped today to think about what goodness and love follows you today?  It’s there if you just take the time to look for it.