I am also reading in Matthew right now and read this verse this morning:
"Staying with it - that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved..."
Matthew 24 (MSG)
Although the context of this verse is talking about the end of the world, I still feel like it is something that we can be encouraged by. We never know when our last days might be, so we need to be living our lives in such a way that we are always doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I have a devotional book that I read every day and there was a line that really stuck out to me and has been going round and round in my head all day since I read it.
"Simply obey God with unrestrained joy."
It's simple. It's to the point. It's what God calls us to do. There are times that obeying God can seem like such a scary thing, but why should we be scared? (Don't worry I am preaching to myself right now!) The Bible doesn't say that following Jesus will always be easy, but God does promise us eternal life with him. And when God tells us to do something, we should do it.
My hope and prayer is that I will be able to:
Simply obey with unrestrained joy when God calls me to leave my friends and family behind to go and serve him.
Simply obey with unrestrained joy even when I am tired because of all the curve balls that life seems to throw at me.
Simply obey with unrestrained joy when the unexpected happens.
And to just always have a "kingdom mindset" where I can truly realize that things of this world are passing away (dcTalk anyone?) and remember that there is life beyond my wildest dreams in heaven with my Savior!
"Simply obey with unrestrained joy even when I am tired because of all the curve balls that life seems to throw at me."
ReplyDeleteAmen.