Be Ye Therefore Ready

"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour that ye think not."  Luke 12:40.  Jesus cautions us to be prepared always.  Life is uncertain.  We know not what lies in our future.  We can not see tomorrow.  Jesus wants our concentration set on the kingdom of God.  Some attention must be given to the things of earth, but our priority and greatest concern is to be on the eternal.  The eternal is in the future of every one.  Whether we seek it or not, each shall eventually become dwellers of the eternal world.  Jesus urges us to make our preparation for that hour.  We are to live each moment in view of the coming of Christ.  We are told that He will come, but the hour of that appearance is unknown.  Some tomorrow, the Christ will appear again.  Will we be ready?  Are we living now for the moment that we shall see Him?  We are to prepare our hearts ever seeking to serve and glorify so that we are ready.  As expectant servants for the return of the master, so we are expectant of Christ's coming even in this very moment.

Be Not Of Doubtful Mind

"And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind."  Luke 12:29.  God provides for the creatures of the earth.  He clothes the flowers with garments that are wondrously fair, and feeds the fowls that fly in the heavens.  Since provision is made for them, shall not God provide for those who are in His kingdom?  We are not to have minds that doubt, but rather, we are to have hearts that believe.  We are to trust ourselves unto God.  We are to yield ourselves  unto Him and believe in His care and provision.  We are to set our sight upon the things that are eternal and commit our way unto the God that does all things well.  All things earthly can keep us from a full relationship with the Creator.  The kingdom of God and the eternal are to be our priority and receive our full attention.  Our life is but fleeing and we must know that soon we will be in the next world.  Let our preparation be of such that God will receive us into everlasting fellowship with Him.  May we never doubt the care and love of the heavenly Father, but always be confident, that He will help us in our journey, and that we are His concern.  God is ever mindful of all of His creation.  He provides not only for the physical well being of His creatures, but also, He provides for our spiritual enjoyment.

Meditate In His Law

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."  Psalm 1:2.  The delight of the Godly man is to meditate in God's law.  The law of the Lord will make us Godly.  It contains Godly precepts.  It is the way of holiness and perfection.  The law of the Lord will cause us to examine our hearts and change whatever is amiss so that we are seeking after Godliness.  No other law brings us to such a height of achievement.  No other law brings us to such an examination of ourselves.  The law of the Lord will lift us above the mundane things of earth and cause us to fly heavenward.  In the law of the Lord we come to know God--His greatness, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Such meditation brings us to comfort, peace, and assurance.  Such meditation will give unto us enlightenment, wisdom, and knowledge.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will take us from this world to the eternal world.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will deliver us from the earthly unto the heavenly.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will inspire us to seek the kingdom of God and the things that are eternal.  The meditation of the law of the Lord will delight our heart and lift our spirits.  Constant meditation in the word of God will give us hope and give us an abiding joy.

Daily Benefits

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."  Psalm 68:19.  How are you feeling today?    Perhaps, you are not doing so well.  You are having some problems that seem to be ruining your day.  Are you counting your troubles or counting your benefits?  Sometimes we choose to see the negatives rather than the positives.  This passage of scripture teaches us about the benefits from God that come to us daily.  We awoke this morning with another day of opportunity to do good.  God sends the rain and fruitful seasons.  The sun and the clouds are all the work of God.  The beauty of the earth surrounds us with the sure knowledge of His goodness.  God supplies our daily need.  We know that He is a source of comfort and peace.  He has allowed me the privilege of access already this day in prayer.  God has spoken to me in His word and my faith has grown.  The greatest of His benefits to us is His salvation.  God saves us from sin, but He also saves us from trouble and despair.  As you find yourself in some difficulty, count your benefits.  Take a moment to meditate on the benefits that have come from the God of our salvation.  Now, isn't that better?

He Shall Save

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21.  The coming of Jesus Christ into the world was very unique.  First, He was born of a virgin.  Jesus was divine.  He came as God in the flesh.  While Mary was His earthly mother, God was His Father.  Second, Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Humanity was in need of redemption and God supplied that need in the person of Jesus Christ. While upon the earth, Jesus established His divine nature by the works that He performed and the teachings that He taught.  Jesus secured eternal redemption for all humanity by His death upon the cross.  God loved us so much that He was willing to give His Son so that the penalty for sin could be satisfied in Jesus.  The death of Christ upon the cross shows without doubt that God is just, and thus, the debt for sin had to be paid.  Long ago, a prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.  Great events have taken place in the course of humanity, but none greater than the coming of Jesus Christ.  A divine Son paid a divine debt.  Jesus came to save us.

Life Consist Not

"And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth."  Luke 12:15.  Our society seems to focus on the things which one might possess.  We speak of those who have and those who have not.  A man has come to Jesus asking that the Lord speak to his brother that he might divide the inheritance with him.  The concern of this man was what he could possess.  Our Lord issues a warning to this one about covetousness.  Covetousness is a desire to have without contentment.  One is never satisfied with that which he possesses, but rather desires more.  With the covetous, the coffer is never full and the life is never satisfied. In a culture where our worth is decided by our possessions, we must guard against the desire to enrich ourselves with things.  The Lord wants us to understand the true meaning of life and the journey of our life.  We need to seek not what is earthly, but what is heavenly.  We must seek the eternal rather that the temporal.  Things can be gathered, and quickly lost.  In the view of our Lord Jesus Christ, our life consist in the character that we have; the faith that burns in our heart; the devotion to Christ and God; the hope of the life to come.  A man's life should consist in the spiritual and the service that we render unto God.

The Mind Of Christ

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 2:5.  The mind of Christ is to be our goal.  We are to ever seek to become like Jesus.  Jesus had a lifestyle that we are to imitate.  The next few verses show us the mind of Christ.  The mind of Jesus was one of humility.  He thought more of others than Himself.  He was obedient to the will of the Father.  The design of God was for Christ to come into the world and die for all humanity.  The reason for this death and sacrifice was because of sin.  Jesus had a mind of sacrifice.  He willingly offered Himself so that we might have a relationship with God.  That sacrifice reached its high mark in the cross.  The One who was indeed God in the flesh took upon Himself the form of man and died the cruel death of the cross.  This death was not for Himself, but for me and all others.  We are to be as Christ.  We are to submit our will unto the will of God.  We are to serve and glorify God.  We are to be instruments in His hand to promote His will and bring honor and praise unto Him.  The mind of Jesus is to be our mind.