Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today's scriptures are about the frailty of the flesh and earthly life. Paul often wrote about life and death, but most importantly, he wrote about the importance of preparing for death. He refers to the flesh as our "earthly house". It's written: Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Cor. 5:1 NIV) In Paul’s second letter to the people of Corinth, he wrote about the despairs or life, the inevitability of death, but the joy of salvation. He encourages them to stay faithful to Christ, and the church, because through Him they’re offered eternal life. It’s written: Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18) As of today, I'm going to vow to stop taking life for granted, because lately I've noticed that I've been doing way too much complaining. I have no reason to complain, because even through my trials, pain, and heartache, I'm still blessed. I know Who God is, and most importantly, I know how much He loves me, so there’s no need to worry and complain. Life is way too short, it's a like a race to the finish, and if we don't stop long enough to listen to God, then we're not only missing out on our earthly blessings, but our eternal treasures. I can still remember being in high school like it was yesterday, and here I am, fifteen years later, and it seems like nothing has changed. I can, however, remember how much God has done for me over the years, and the tremendous growth He's given me. I can also recall the rough spots, but the in all actuality, the good always outweighs the bad. I write all of this to point out the fact that life is precious. The way to avoid wasting any more time, being down and out, lost and confused, or beaten and battered, is to commit your entire life to God. In everything you do, use the eyes of Christ, because you have His Holy Spirit in your heart. Consult Him any time you question about your actions. Ask Him for the strength to endure through the hard times. Thank Him for each day He walks with you, and you'll notice your attitude change tremendously. Look at the life of the Apostle Paul, who was once a man who persecuted and killed followers of Christ. When it came close to his death, in Paul's final letters to Timothy, he accepted his fate. He knew that he had to suffer much, and Jesus even said, when questioned about His choice of Paul, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16). Once Paul surrendered to Christ, he never avoided suffering for Jesus' sake, because He knew were His rewards laid. Like Paul, we too have sinned against God, and we must be willing to "suffer for His name's sake". If Jesus suffered, and He never sinned, how much more will we endure? At the same time, He has redeemed us through His death, so we won't have to experience eternity in hell. The next time you're going through something, shake it off, because none of that really matters. As long as you continue praise God, and look for His blessing throughout, then your rewards will be great now and forever more. Be sure to share your testimony and knowledge of Him, to all who's willing to listen. Always feel “Heaven”, live as though you're already there, and trust God to supply your every need. This will ensure your peace within. Go through some of Paul’s Epistles, and notice how he never complained about all of his hardships, he simply encouraged us to keep loving, praising, and fighting for the Lord. That's the same message I want to ensure I'm relying to you every day. Start by surrendering your life to God, and allow Him to take you to that place Paul was. This "tent" is temporary, and will soon be destroyed by this earth, but when you’re absent from the body, you'll be present with the Lord. That's a reason to rejoice all the days of your life, no matter what's going on around you. This reward only comes through Salvation through Christ Jesus. If you don't know Him as Savior, get to know Him today. He's a simple prayer away. My favorite verse today is: What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455272&dtype=Scripture
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I love you!