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This Week’s Devotional Topic
NO TOMORROW
No doubt you have heard this question asked before and it bears repeating. What would you do differently if you knew that there would be no tomorrow?
Well first, of course God does expect us to plan ahead, to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. Here, I appreciate the verbiage of the New Living Translation.
Proverbs 6:6-8 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.
Make your plans and then don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t let your thoughts get wrapped up and bogged down with the future.
Matthew 6:33,34 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
On the cross, Christ knew that the thieves would not see a tomorrow. He basically told the one, “rest assured”, I know your future.
Luke 23:39-43 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
I visited a fellow motorcyclist in the hospital a few days ago. He would be having open heart surgery. It was amazing to me as I heard and saw how he interacted with the staff. He had been actively sharing the good news of Christ in word and deed to everyone. He may have shared only a minute or two about the upcoming procedure. The other hour and a half we invested together was about the Lord at work in and around himself.
Plan as if you may live a full life, make daily choices on the possibility that you may not get a tomorrow.
Here’s a quote that most of us have heard: “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”. Other accomplishments that are done in and for our flesh are as ‘wood hay and stubble’ that will be burned up. And what we do for the kingdom will have eternal consequences for those lives we touch.
In this context, consider the reality of the acronym – Y.O.L.O, you only live once. AND let me quickly add that this is not a reason to justify behavior as if we should “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die”. Absolutely not! God’s word is filled with very clear instructions for the priorities of our lives.
Many of you have either read or heard about the book “How Should We Then Live” by Francis Schaeffer. Scripture makes it clear that as we grow relationships and our society, it should be a God-centered approach, guiding our thoughts, motives and actions. Some of you may remember the W.W.J.D. movement and philosophy. “What Would Jesus Do?”
And for you that are listening now and do not yet have a relationship with God, please consider doing business with Him today. You are not guaranteed a tomorrow.
II Corinthians 5:17-6:2 “…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”
Just as we leave behind reflections, memories of our life. God has left a “legacy” for us, a legacy of love. Lord help us to remember that concept every day, with every choice, every spoken word.
This week’s Scripture:
Matthew 6:33,34; Luke 23:39-43; Proverbs 6:6-8 and II Corinthians 5:17-6:2
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