A Devotional Look at the Book #550

A Devotional Look at the Book #550

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Personal and National Sin: -- Psalm 119:89 The Word of God was written over a span of six thousand years, but His Word has been settled in heaven... Forever! It is futile to argue with that. History reveals that men have tried… yet; The Word of God still stands and so it will, Forever!

Good Morning

Is it time for another update on Fatso and Skinny? It has been nearly a year since Cutie Pie the Parakeet died so the house is a lot quieter and the two finches seem to like the peace. However this does not mean that Fatso has changed his ways. He is still very bossy over Skinny. Skinny likes clean straw in the nest and will spend hours picking up one piece at a time and placing it in the nest; all the while Fatso is arguing with him. Skinny puts the straw in and Fatso; squawking all the time, takes it out. Then after this hard days work; they both take baths in their drinking water and shake the water all over place. After that they sit and listen to the “oldie’s station on the radio. Sort of reminds me of married life; you know the wife spends her time cleaning and ironing the clothes; folding and putting away. The husband puts on a pair of socks; he decides he doesn’t like the color and tosses the socks under the bed and grabs another clean pair. He does this with other clothing too. By the end of the day and all tuckered out from tossing clothing to and fro, they both sit down for a little television entertainment. Is there a point to this, Jesse? Well yes; and I am so glad you asked. There are twelve chapters in the book of Ecclesiastes. Eleven chapters discuss the vanity of mankind “under” the sun and the final chapter challenges the reader to get hold of life by remembering the Creator before old age takes life away piece by piece. Don’t waste life over the vanities of this world under the sun. Be a good steward of your time under the SON. John 15:1-8.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 – The confidence of living life is as comfortable as sitting in our living room at home and being protected from the elements of weather, temperaments of people and other forms of suffering. Yet even at home in this body of flesh there remains an element of uncertainty or absence from our Creator. The unbelieving person fills this void with the potions of the world to compensate for this emptiness. You know; controlling bondages that destroy marriages, children, communities, towns and nations.

These conditions cause the believer in Christ to groan in his or her mortal existence to be further clothed so God comforts us with sanctification. This is a process which take us from selfish desire (self righteousness) to the will of God (Christ’s Righteousness). The swallowing up if you will; of this mortal body by the LIFE of Christ in us. Again and as you remember the epistle of 2 Corinthians is about the comfort that God provides to His saints while they suffer in this life. Suffering is a normal condition of physical life. In other words for this mortal to put on immortality is the full process of: Justification, Sanctification and Glorification; all of these spiritual acquisitions are accomplished by Christ in us (The Holy Spirit as explained in 2 Corinthians 3:17) as we walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. 1 Peter 4:4-19 helps amplify this.

This ongoing work of salvation is confidence in God; but in addition to this confidence is the Spiritual reality that we are well pleased in this absence since while we live in this earthen vessel and utilize the treasure of God’s Mercy over every circumstance of suffering, there is this eternal weight of glory being built up for us who look at eternity with Christ, rather than the temporal things in front of our physical eyes; knowing that when we are finally absent from this body of flesh, we will be forever present with the LORD. Face to face in all of His Glory!