October 17, 2022 SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our home is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-“
Our focus and our attention tends to get set on life on this earth as if there is all there is. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are living in a temporary dwelling, or as Paul said, a tent. As believers, deep within we know there is more; we envision what it will be like to be in heaven where God is. In this life on earth, we experience conflicts and various trials; yet, in our spirit there is a longing to live in the presence of God where we experience life as He designed. As believers, we are wired for heaven-yet we have been placed here on earth for a season. As Paul said, in this earthly tent in which we presently live, we groan, being burdened, but we know that there is more. We want things to be made right; we want justice to prevail; we want righteousness to rule; we want to see and experience the kingdom of God. Someone said that our life is like having one foot in heaven and one foot on earth. This longing we have, this groaning, is from God who has given us a destiny with Him. Because God understands our groaning and our longing for more, He has given us the Spirit as a pledge that He will indeed fulfill this longing; and because we have this pledge, the Holy Spirit, we can be of good courage; and we can look forward to being clothed with our dwelling from heaven. We can live with the assurance that one day that that which is mortal will be swallowed up by life!! I understand that there is a general dread of dying, and that is normal. However, as we begin to understand that we were created for more than life on this earth and that it is our destiny to be with our Father in heaven, the fear or dread of death is removed. Psalm 116:15 is an amazing verse that is often overlooked; it gives us good insight as to the heart of God concerning the death of one of His followers: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” Because we have a destiny with God, and even though there is more to life than we experience on earth, let us live our life on earth in a way that pleases Him, and experience the abundant life that He gives even while living in this temporary tent.
1 Corinthians 15:49, 52-53, 55 “And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For the perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Blessings,
Buddy
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