Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will
rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let
your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will
fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at you right hand.
(Psalm 16:11)
I’ve known people who have looked forward to “passing on to the other
side.” I mean really looked forward
to it! Can’t wait! Inside of them reverberates Job’s soulful yearning, “And
after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will
see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
(Job 19:26, 27). How precious the childlike faith that rests in the promises of God.
So why is it we freely trust Christ for eternal life in the hereafter, yet struggle to trust Him for fullness of life in the here-and-now? He would eagerly prove Himself to be our daily bread, but we far prefer to gather up a lifetime supply and then hover over it as sentinels of fear. God would broadly display His glory through our acts of love, but we nervously pass by our neighbors in need, diverting our attention to trifling matters of little consequence. The Spirit would breathe new life into empty souls, but we hide the good news behind locked jaws as though people’s acceptance of us is somehow more important than God’s salvation for them. If we trust God for an unseen glory that awaits us, why not now?
Maybe it is because we are utterly helpless in the face of death that we lay back and rest ourselves completely in the hands of God for what inevitably is to come. If so, we would do well to understand we likewise have no real way of loving God in this life but to live our faith through obedience. “If anyone loves me,” said Jesus, “he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23, 24). Obeying God in faith—loving Him—is something we can do “on this side,” before we see him face-to-face.
He has much for us to do in the here-and-now, and all of it matters for eternity. Can’t wait!
Father, I confess there is nothing so fulfilling in life as obeying you and knowing your pleasure. There is nothing more humbling than glorifying you through deeds done for others in love, faith and obedience. Lead me in fullness of life, for it is only found in you. In Jesus' name, I pray. May it be so today.
[Read the Scripture for the day in Psalm 16.]
So why is it we freely trust Christ for eternal life in the hereafter, yet struggle to trust Him for fullness of life in the here-and-now? He would eagerly prove Himself to be our daily bread, but we far prefer to gather up a lifetime supply and then hover over it as sentinels of fear. God would broadly display His glory through our acts of love, but we nervously pass by our neighbors in need, diverting our attention to trifling matters of little consequence. The Spirit would breathe new life into empty souls, but we hide the good news behind locked jaws as though people’s acceptance of us is somehow more important than God’s salvation for them. If we trust God for an unseen glory that awaits us, why not now?
Maybe it is because we are utterly helpless in the face of death that we lay back and rest ourselves completely in the hands of God for what inevitably is to come. If so, we would do well to understand we likewise have no real way of loving God in this life but to live our faith through obedience. “If anyone loves me,” said Jesus, “he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23, 24). Obeying God in faith—loving Him—is something we can do “on this side,” before we see him face-to-face.
He has much for us to do in the here-and-now, and all of it matters for eternity. Can’t wait!
Father, I confess there is nothing so fulfilling in life as obeying you and knowing your pleasure. There is nothing more humbling than glorifying you through deeds done for others in love, faith and obedience. Lead me in fullness of life, for it is only found in you. In Jesus' name, I pray. May it be so today.
[Read the Scripture for the day in Psalm 16.]
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