An article in the local newspaper tells about a man who died on his 88th birthday leaving his wife he was married to for 68 years, 17 children, 137 grandchildren, and 70 great grandchildren. Almost every day would have been a birthday for someone in his family. If he tried to keep in regular contact with all his family members he would have been a very busy man.
While this man certainly had a large family, it is tiny compared to the family of our Heavenly Father. We are God’s children, and He keeps track of all of us. Jesus tells us that not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without the Father knowing it, and that we are of more value than many sparrows. The psalmist tells us that our Heavenly Father knows when we sit down and when we stand up and He is acquainted with all our ways. How privileged we are, that the eternal God cares so much for us, and allows us to call Him our Heavenly Father.
Do we live each day of our lives mindful that all we think and say and do is known to Him? When we go to bed at night what grade do we think our Heavenly Father will give us for this day’s activities? Have we served our God by what we have done? Have we read the Bible, God’s word given to guide us through the perils of this life to salvation? Joshua was told that the key to him prospering was to meditate on the Word of God day and night. At the very least do we do our daily Bible readings? Have we looked for opportunities to share our hope of salvation with those living in darkness in our increasingly troubled world? Paul advises the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing — do we? Do we discuss the details of our life with our Heavenly Father, looking for His blessing and guidance, knowing that our burdens can be light when we share the yoke with Jesus? Have we showed kindness to others, helping them with their burdens? Living a godly life involves making a conscious decision to think about God’s ways and to try to live according to His standards as best we can.
We have no secrets in heaven. Each day we live is another day to serve the Lord. When our life appears to have been extended it must mean there is still more God wants us to do. What is our purpose in living, and are we redeeming the time? However young or old we are, there is something we can do today for Him.
James tells us that faith without works is dead. He does not mean that we can earn salvation by our works. Nothing we could ever do would be enough to earn eternal life, but our Heavenly Father wants to give it to us if we will show our love for Him by keeping His commandments to the best of our ability. Jesus tells us that it is his Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom.
How comforting for us to know that both our Heavenly Father and His son, our Lord Jesus Christ, want us to be in the Kingdom. Jesus has told us that none of us can come to him unless our Heavenly Father has drawn us, so we really are special chosen vessels if we have been given the opportunity to learn the gospel of salvation. It is up to us to want to be in God’s kingdom as much as they want us to be there. If there is anything we want more, then that is a weed choking our growth in godliness. Weeds can be a person, or an obsession for something like money or a career or a sport, or a distraction like a computer or television. We cannot let the weeds threaten our salvation by choking the Word of life in our lives. Most of us do need a job, we need money to live, we may need computers or phones to do our work properly, but we cannot let these things take over our lives. We must remember our priority in life is to seek first the Kingdom of God, and that all these other things are to be cut down in importance, like cutting down weeds, so that they don’t distract us from our true purpose in life.
What is it that takes our time and thoughts each day? If we were to keep a log of everything we did and thought about in one 24 hour period, we would probably be surprised and, perhaps, ashamed. How much of the time left over when we are not sleeping or eating do we actually spend in thinking about God, studying His Word, and working in His service? These questions each of us needs to answer, and the answer can lead to life forever, or rejection at the judgment seat of Christ.
Our God cares for us His children more than any natural father cares for his family. He has made it possible for us to inherit eternal life if we are willing to live our lives as His children. Let us be thankful that we have been called, and let us pray that we may be among those who are chosen and faithful
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One