Drop in a Bucket

How can you compare your life on earth to the time you will spend in eternity?  Have you heard the expression "a drop in a bucket?'  Better yet, compare life here as a drop of water to an everlasting life as the water in an ocean? 

If you have been to the beach or on a cruise ship it doesn't take much imagination to realize the vast amount of water that the ocean contains.  Comparing that to a drop of water from an eyedropper seems utterly ridiculous.  How does our life on earth compare to being alive forever and ever?  The truth is that the comparison is not fair; not that the drop representing our earthly life is not big enough, but rather that eternity is far greater than all the water in all the oceans of the world.

Yet many people choose to ignore or deliberately not consider what their life will be for the infinite amount of time after their years on earth.  Jesus talked about a man who prospered much and only thought about building bigger barns to store up his wealth but ignored the life of his soul.  Jesus called him foolish. 

In the business world there is a saying that failure to plan is to plan to fail.  Jesus told a parable about the wisdom of the unjust steward who, although he was not honest, at least was wise enough to plan for his future.  Jesus' comment was that the unjust steward was wiser that the sons of men.  In short, be wise enough to plan for your eternal existence. 

In my work there are people from many different cultures and religious persuasions.  Often these religious backgrounds are so ingrained that arguments to the contrary are futile.  Therefore, it is not profitable to argue religions.  The only thing that works and changes everything is Jesus showing Himself.  Therefore, my heart plea to every person is this, Ask Jesus to show Himself to you.  Jesus loves each person enough to die for them, and God delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18) and forgiving sin through what His Son accomplished for you on the cross.  He paid the ultimate price for your and my sin, so it is clear He desires each one of us to enjoy the benefit.

Today there are great numbers of people who have experienced dreams and visions of Jesus which has made all the difference in their lives forever.  This is consistent with His promise that those who seek Him will find Him and that the Holy Spirit would bear witness to Jesus, as God Himself who willingly shed His own blood to wash every heart clean.  Jesus promised in Luke 12:32 that it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  The kingdom that Jesus died to give you is defined as "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17) 

There is no substitute for knowing God.  Jesus, praying to His Father in John 17:3, said that "this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."  Furthermore, He promises that "he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21)\.  Jesus will show Himself to you, who He really is, if you honestly ask.

Eternity is a long, long time, actually forever.  Nothing compares to knowing God and Jesus whom He sent so you will forever enjoy His goodness and love in the coming age.  Life here is a drop in a bucket, well actually less than a drop of water compared to the whole ocean of eternity.  Knowing Jesus and His awesome love for you is His gift that lasts forever.  So as the commercial expression goes, "Don't leave home without it."  

What do you have to lose?  If Jesus is not real, then nothing will happen.  However, if Jesus is real, by asking you open the door for Him to show you who He really is and how much you are loved forever and ever.  Let me repeat my deepest request that will make all the difference, not only in the drop of water that this earthly life is, but forever in the vast ocean of life that goes on forever.  Ask Jesus to show Himself to you.  

He is Faithful

 A young worship leader Matthew (named changed) and his wife Alice (also changed name) were excited with the expectancy of their first baby.  Perhaps Dad was a little overzealous as a "proud papa" with plans to videotape and stream the coming birth to family and friends.  However, the week that the baby was due, she miscarried and the baby was stillborn. 

The next morning Matthew was scheduled to lead worship.  Understandably, as students gathered for worship the rumor mill spread the news quickly that they had lost the baby.  There was a holy hush of emotion and compassion that settled over the student body as Matthew came out to lead.  Matthew took a moment to catch his breath, looked out at the students who sensed his hurt, and simply said, "As you may know, we lost our baby last night."  He paused for a second, then said, "God is faithful, let's worship Him."

Clearly the time we need to realize God's faithfulness is in the hard times.  1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that God is faithful even in challenging trials, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it." His faithfulness will provide the grace to go through the trial and also show us how to overcome it.

One of God's eternal qualities is His faithfulness.  Faithfulness is defined by Webster as "loyal, steadfast, not changing, unswerving adherence to an oath or promise.  Numbers 23:19 declares how and why we can know He is faithful, "God is not a man that He should lie." This truth is further defined in Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He"  

The testimony of Moses, repeated by Joshua and Solomon, is that not one word has failed of all the good things God had promised.  (Joshua 23:14, 1 Kings 8:56)   Jesus, who is the exact image of the Father. also continues to show the faithful nature of God, "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)  God is faithful to keep His promises.  

In His faithfulness, He has promised awesome benefits to us.  First, in 1 Corinthians 1:9, it states that God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Fellowship may be simply defined as two fellows being in the same ship.  We are joined to Jesus, He in us and we are in Him.  Eternal life is described by Jesus as "knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent."

He is a faithful God who promises that blessed are those who wait for His help, according to Isaiah 30:18. His faithfulness reaches to the skies, according to Psalm 36:5.  Because Jesus has paid the punishment for all our sins shedding His blood on the cross, 1 John 1:9 points out that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  Jesus is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world, so He can transfer His righteousness and overcoming power to those who come to Him.  Even if we have times of being unfaithful, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).  

1 Corinthians 4:2 calls us servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be faithful.  He who is faithful in little will be given much, and he who is not faithful in little will also not be entrusted with much.  He clearly is looking for the faithful and wise servant that He can reward.  We are called to "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer" in Romans 12:12.  Finally in Revelation a more severe test is applied that confirms His faithfulness, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."  Enter into the joy of your Father, good and faithful servant.  Jesus is always faithful to keep His promises and reward those who are faithful and diligently seek Him.

Fills My Mouth with Good Things

Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits...who fills my mouth with good things so that my youth is restored like the eagles. 

Psalm 103:1-5  God also declares He has forgiven all our iniquities, healed all our diseases, redeemed our lives from hell, and crowned us with His steadfast love and mercy.  However, the next "benefit" is different in that it requires our participation.  He may "fill our mouths" but it is up to us to speak these good things. This is much like the expression, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

2 Corinthians 4:13 states that since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke" we also believe and therefore speak.  We believe Jesus has overcome sin, sickness, the devil, and death.  Then we bring this overcoming power into our lives by saying it with our mouths.  It is one thing to hear the Word of God, but another to make it ours by declaring this truth

Consider what words you usually declare.  If there was a recording of all your words from the past 24 hours, would it sound positive like hope and joy or would it be doubt and fear and defeat?  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, according to Jesus in Luke 6:45, so our words reveal what is in our hearts.  Have you ever noticed what comes out of your mouth in emergency situations?  It is often something we didn’t even realize was in our heart.  Yet God has given us a new heart and now renews our mind with His truth and ways so we can become His mouthpiece on the earth. 

As we declare His truth, we allow the Holy Spirit to confirm our words with His power.  Our youth or life is renewed like the eagles.  Just as an eagle soars and is lifted up effortlessly by the wind, so our bodies are renewed by the breath of God.  

Beyond our personal benefit, God's plan is also for "His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven," which is how Jesus told us to pray.  Peter goes so far (1 Peter 4:11) as to say that we who speak are the oracle or mouthpiece of God.  Just as God spoke creation into existence with words, "Let there be light" and so forth, this same principle of power is declared in our spoken words, according to Proverbs 18:21, "Life and death are in the power of the tongue."  Amos 3:8 exhorts all those who hear God to speak what we hear, "The Lord has spoken, who can but prophesy?"  Prophecy is hearing from God and then speaking the message our loud to establish it on the earth. 

The bottom line is "It is finished."  Jesus, through His death and resurrection, has finished or completed the work of restoring all that mankind has lost through sin and now reigns as King.  We agree with God's Word and use His kingly authority to overcome anything and everything that does not submit to His rule.  Therefore, Romans 5:17 can boldly say "all those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and speak the good things from God's Word to renew your youth like the eagles!