Weather report from heaven: Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture– “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”- Deuteronomy 31:6
Insight: There is a lot of fear in the world right now. I think that’s a fair statement that most people in the world today would agree with. But it would be personal for each of us based on our own circumstances and based on the types of inputs we allow into our sphere of influence. For example, if we watch a lot of news channels, we’re likely to be fearful about the geopolitical events in the world. If we have lost a loved one to Covid over the past few years, we’re likely to be fearful over health issues. If we’re struggling making the rent payment and paying our bills, we are for sure likely to be fearful about our financial situation. There are a myriad of other things that could be unique to us that would cause us to be filled with fear. We can try many different antidotes to fight our fear, or numb it, but I have found most of those are ineffective over time. The Bible on the other hand is filled with scriptures and God’s promises telling us to fear not. For example, Isaiah 41:10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Psalm 46:2 says “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” King David knew the fear of God took away all his other fears, and he wrote about that often like in Psalm 34:9 “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” The point is there are lots of things to be fearful about and we have to know where we can turn to fight off those fears and stay strong in the midst of turbulent waters swirling all around us.
The other day when I was thinking about all this and praying to not be afraid about an area in my life that was causing me much stress, God put on my heart an amazing challenge. He said in a small, soft whisper “what if you learned to live everyday like it was your last?” I was instantly engaged in that mindset of what that meant for me. In other words, what did I need to change and how could I achieve that goal? Well, in deep prayer, I think I found some answers I can try to incorporate into my daily life. If you knew it was your last day, all of your priorities would change. You would have no time for petty grievances, or any time for past mistakes that were a source of guilt. You would watch no T.V. News or pay attention to any of the gossip or chaos that is the reality of social media. You most likely would forgive any petty grievances easily, you wouldn’t be concerned at all with wealth or status, and you wouldn’t be fearful about all the things that are putting a strain on you like work demands or whatever. You wouldn’t have time for politics or anything else that causes so much pain in disagreement in your life.
You would, however, most likely be in a hurry to express love to all of your friends and relatives who had been a part of your life journey. You would go out of your way to see them. You would be generous in thought, word and deeds. You would have an incredible zest for getting the most out of your 24 hours you possibly could. You most likely wouldn’t be tired and your adrenaline would be racing through your veins. You would appreciate all you had, and all that God provided for you. You would be grateful, and if you are a Christian, you would be excited about getting to finally meet the One who gave His life for you so you could have an eternal existence with Him in Heaven. One of my favorite verses for that moment is 1 Corinthians 13:12 which promises “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” As a Christian, we know like everyone else ever born that we will have a last day on earth, but it won’t be something to fear. Rather, we can look ahead to what will be the greatest homecoming we could ever imagine. So let’s see if we can learn to live each day like it’s our last and see if that lessens our fear, and quickens our step, and makes this life one truly worth living. Lord knows we all need a change. Let’s go!
Prayer: Father God, help us to learn to live in a way that honors You by trusting completely in You and living each day like it’s the last one we will ever have on this earth. Help us overcome our fears and let run with vigor the race You have marked out for us. We pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen!
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