“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
– Revelation 7:16-17

This is the promise to every follower of Jesus who holds firmly to their faith, no matter the cost. Though there may be humiliation, suffering, and persecution for the sake of Jesus here on earth, those who hold fast to Lord Jesus will experience peace, love, and joy that never ends in His presence. The Lamb of God Who sacrificed His life for your sins will be your loving Shepherd. God the Father will be your Comforter. He will wipe away the tears and pain of earthly suffering, leaving only joy and love, grace and mercy, awe and wonder.

Physical deprivation will one day end. Even if your faith in Christ costs you your health, wealth, comfort, shelter, status, or freedom on earth, you will have all those things in unimaginable abundance throughout eternity. To accept Jesus’ invitation to take up your cross every single day isn’t easy. It is costly. But the rewards are endless! Yes, Jesus called you to die to yourself every day here on earth as you follow Him. But you will live in Him forever afterwards. That’s a trade everyone should be happy to make! What the world would deny you for faithful obedience to the teachings and commands of the Bible will be yours forever in Christ. #FollowJesus

“They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” – Revelation 6:10-11

In the midst of suffering, injustice, and persecution it can be hard to understand God’s perspective and plan. Our thirst for justice and vengeance can become so overwhelming that we grow impatient with God’s plan. We may even be tempted to wonder if God has a plan…

God has a plan!!! He is all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He sees all of time from beginning to end. He knows what is the absolute best time and way for everything. His judgment will come at precisely the right moment. This can be hard to accept because it means some believers will suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ. That might even include you! However, God knows their (your) suffering, comforts them (you) in their (your) suffering, and has given ironclad promises that His perfect and eternal justice will come. Those who abuse God’s people will pay for their sins.

When you’re in a hard season that leads you to question God’s timing and justice, turn your mind toward His comfort instead. You aren’t going to figure out the answers to the mysteries of the universe and God’s timing. But you can certainly find and experience God more deeply. Trust that His plan is best and that He alone understands the best timing for all things. Rather than wrestle with questions beyond your pay grade, find your perfect rest in the Lord. Draw near to Him and enjoy His comforting love and presence. Enjoy the purity and holiness you’ve been given in Him as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus. #FollowJesus and rest a little longer!

“So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
– Psalm 90:12

Isn’t it interesting that there’s a God-ordained connection between understanding your own mortality and becoming truly wise? Anyone at any age and stage can brilliantly know many things. However, it’s only once we reach a certain understanding about our lives that we’re open to genuine wisdom. When we’re young and assume we’ll live forever, there are simply things we fail to understand, appreciate, or apply. Once we begin to realize that our days on earth are truly limited, we can begin to value at least two things. With that, wisdom finally has fertile soil to grow in our hearts.

We begin to value the days themselves because we know they’re each a gift. Once we understand that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, we can grow thankful for today. When we understand that our earthly days will end, we can desire to use those we have better. We can learn to steward our time, talent, and treasure better, filling our days with love for God and others. Once we truly know there will only be so many days, we can value the ones we’re given, using them for the purposes for which God has given them. Smaller acts of grace and gratitude grow more precious. Concern for leaving a legacy that blesses the generations to come begin to outweigh the selfish concerns of the present.

We also begin to value eternity more accurately. As we begin to realize how our short earthly life is, we’re able to grow in understanding just how long eternity is. We can grow in our concern for storing up rewards and treasures in heaven that we’ll enjoy forever rather than collecting stuff on earth that we’ll leave behind. The Kingdom of God should grow infinitely more important than building our own personal kingdoms here on earth. We begin to see that which is invisible – the eternal inheritance stored up for us in Christ Jesus! As we value our days here on earth more highly while simultaneously valuing eternity more accurately, the true wisdom of God is able to grow in our hearts as we #FollowJesus.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” – Deuteronomy 6:5

These ancient words commanded by Moses are what Jesus called “The Great and First Commandment”. They’re extraordinarily simple to understand, yet endlessly challenging to obey. Take some time today to consider…

Do you love the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART? Or is your heart divided into many different compartments or slices, only one of which is focused on God? What would you need to do to move toward a truly wholehearted love for God?

Do you love the Lord with ALL YOUR SOUL? Is your greatest satisfaction found in your relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Is your understanding of who you are as a person rooted in your identity as a blood-bought child of God? What would help you devote your soul fully toward loving God?

Do you love the Lord with ALL YOUR MIGHT? Are you pouring out your time, energy, and strength to love and serve God? Are you a living sacrifice, taking up your cross every single day to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and advance God’s Kingdom here on earth? What next step of service, sacrifice, and devotion might God be calling you to?

#FollowJesus

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” – Revelation 1:7

There are many parts of Revelation which Christians might prefer were just a bit easier to understand. Be that as it may, certain truths ring out loud and clear. These are intended to give followers of Jesus great comfort, particularly during times of persecution and suffering. This verse contains one such truth – Jesus will return to earth physically, visibly, and victoriously. He will come from the sky with the clouds as the prophet Daniel promised long, long ago.

Just as God appeared in cloud throughout ancient times, Jesus Christ will return to earth in the clouds that emphasize He is God the Son come in the flesh. His return will be unmistakably visible to everyone on earth – both those who believe in Him and those who don’t. Those who love Jesus will know He has come to rule over creation and so will those who hate Jesus and everything He represents.

When Jesus returns, judgment will come for all of mankind. The book of life and the book of our deeds in life will be opened and read. Those whose names are written in the book of life because we’ve entrusted ourselves to Jesus as Lord will be glorified and rewarded. Everyone else will wail as their desire for God to leave them alone becomes their unending reality in the lake of fire. No matter what you must endure between now and then, whether your life is filled with joy or pain, happiness or persecution, this IS the future. If Jesus is your Lord, this is something to take comfort in, look forward to, and rejoice when it happens. Think about the return of Jesus and get excited!

If Jesus isn’t your Lord then this is something to fear. But it’s still going to happen. Strongly consider re-evaluating your life and beliefs before this day comes and #FollowJesus!