An encouraging devotional

"We do not know all that awaits us in the remaining todays of this perishing world. Yet we can be sure that there are trials to come—deprivations, dangers, failures, tragedies, broken relationships, disappointments, and persecution. How can we face it all? We persevere in the strength of Scripture’s assurance that heaven’s victory will come...

Heaven does not make earth’s trials vanish, but it shrinks them from their giant proportions with the perspective of God’s ultimate provision...

We spend too much time stressed out over what eternity will make incidental, defeated by ephemeral setbacks that heaven’s magnitude will dwarf to microscopic proportions... "

(from a devotional article at Covenant Seminary's LivingChrist360 ministry. Hehe we have no time to write so we just upload encouraging and interesting articles whenever we can. Please read the whole article below if you are interested. We hope this will encourage you as it has encouraged us tremendously. - che )

Immortal--and Undaunted--in Christ
(downloaded from http://www.livingchrist360.com/dailymessages/devotionals/?date=2009-08-17)

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

-- 1 Corinthians 15:53-58

We do not know all that awaits us in the remaining todays of this perishing world. Yet we can be sure that there are trials to come—deprivations, dangers, failures, tragedies, broken relationships, disappointments, and persecution. How can we face it all? We persevere in the strength of Scripture’s assurance that heaven’s victory will come. Paul says, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality,” heaven’s realities will blossom (1 Cor. 15:54). Note how definite these words are. There are no “ifs” but a definite “when.” The mortal will have immortality in Christ. This perspective is our source of hope and renewal in the face of any disaster.

Heaven does not make earth’s trials vanish, but it shrinks them from their giant proportions with the perspective of God’s ultimate provision. If we know we are safe eternally, then what threat of man can intimidate us? What challenges of this world have the power to detour us from God’s purposes? C. S. Lewis advised that when Satan attempts to frighten or paralyze us with this world’s trials, we should answer his threats with this retort: “Pish, posh. What can you do to me? I am an immortal being!” We can say: Death, be not proud; decay, do not exult; disaster, do not claim victory over us. For though you may seem to conquer our bodies here, our Bible says that all of this life is but a hand’s breadth of time compared with the infinity of eternity that spreads before Christians in God’s Kingdom (cf. Ps. 39:5).

We spend too much time stressed out over what eternity will make incidental, defeated by ephemeral setbacks that heaven’s magnitude will dwarf to microscopic proportions. Embarrassing grades, frustrating finances, ministry failures, relational mistakes, life’s terrible injustices—all these carry legitimate pain. Yet with heaven’s perspective we have strength to endure all these earthly trials without buckling to despair. This trouble will pass, and the matters of eternity alone shall last.

Of course, merely enduring trial is not all Paul wants for us or from us. It has been said that hope hears the music of heaven, but faith dances to it. If heaven’s claims cause us merely to endure this world, then we have not heard the angelic strains clearly enough. When we understand that resurrection realities provide joy for tomorrow (so it need not worry us) and strength for today (so it need not intimidate us), our hearts should begin to beat for higher purposes than the rest of the world can even consider. Heaven rightly perceived results not in retreat from this world’s concerns, but in wholehearted commitment to the purposes of God. When we rest assured of future blessing and present security, there is nothing to hold us back from committing ourselves fully to the work of ministry. An uncompromising heart on fire for God’s purposes is the inevitable result of heaven’s realities fully grasped.

May the Lord grant us all such heaven-empowered zeal, and may he use us mightily for his Kingdom work.

This material is adapted from chapter 8 of Bryan Chapell’s book The Wonder of It All: Rediscovering the Treasures of Your Faith (Crossway, 1999). Learn more about the glories of God's grace with our free CD of Studies in Romans, featuring Bible teaching by Bryan Chapell and Scripture readings by Max McLean.