These days, society has many ways of trying to guarantee peace and happiness. What is your daily “happiness” based on? The devil has a way, especially with Christians, of causing us to focus, even obsessively sometimes, on certain aspects of our lives in hopes of attaining that element of happiness. Some focus on trying to maximize their 401-K, or on continually buying the latest car, or buying bigger and bigger homes. Others focus on cosmetic surgery, or personal fitness, or even relationships. While there is nothing wrong with many of these pursuits, it is the obsession with any of these that can pose a problem. If your “idol” becomes one of these, or something similar, it can slowly but surely crowd out the Lord. God’s word says to have no other idols before him. Idols can take many forms. If you ponder day and night on a certain issue, that can easily consume you and take your eyes away from the Lord (which is always what Satan wants). When we take our eyes off of the Lord and focus on something of this world, and begin to ignore the Lord (through lack of church attendance, Bible study, etc), this leaves us open and vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. An unhealthy focus on anything worldly will cause you stress. The Bible says to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. (Matthew 6:33 KJV). Focus on God, prayer, Bible study and associating with others at your local church, and God will give you the desires of your heart.
A
focus or obsession with personal beauty will ultimately leave you
disappointed, for we all age. Someone
else will always have the latest new vehicle.
Someone down the road if you drive far enough, will have a bigger
house. There will always be a
job making more money. Things
of this world will ultimately always let you down.
Friends will eventually disappoint you.
Your health will eventually fail.
Money will eventually begin to run out.
That new car will eventually break down. Everything eventually wears out, gives out, fails or
disappoints. Well, almost
everything.
God has prepared for each of his children, an eternal inheritance that is not defiled and will never decay. Why focus on things which are guaranteed to disappoint when there is available a friend who never disappoints and is our best friend. People long for that “guaranteed” investment. Once a person has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, He guarantees us that “stability” that we long for here on earth. A couple of verses to ponder directly from God’s word: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT). Another verse to illustrate the dependability and security of trusting in Jesus: “My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me.” (John 10: 27-29 NLT).
Jesus
is dependable and He will never let you down.
Everything else in this world will, but He is constant and never
changes. Our trust should not be in ourselves or of things on earth, but
in Jesus.
So
that’s the message Legacy offers. It’s
not a get rich quick scheme (although the rewards and retirement plan are
out of this world!!). It’s
not a humanistic “feel good” philosophy, it’s not the latest machine
for taking away pounds or wrinkles, but it is the message of a
relationship that is available with the creator of this world, who Loves
you more than you could ever love yourself, who desires nothing more than
a relationship with you. Jesus
said “I am the good shepherd. The
good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11 NLT).
Jesus IS our shepherd and shows the same love for us.
“So Jesus used this illustration:
If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was
lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go
and search for the lost one until you found it?
And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders.
When you arrived, you would call together your friends and
neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found.” (Luke
15: 3-6 NLT). Jesus said
“Look! Here I stand at the
door and knock. If you hear
me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as
friends”. (Revelation 4:20
NLT). If you have not asked
Jesus into your heart, why not invite Him to be your Lord and Savior?
He will not let you down, He will not falter, He will not fail and
He is everlasting and eternal, forever and ever, Amen!!
In
Christian Love,
Tim
Perry for Legacy