The Devotional - A Look at the Book #705

by Jesse Abel

There is one recipe that most of us do not consider tasting of. The recipe cannot be reproduced but it is one that always has the aroma of fresh baked bread. One part of the recipe took 1600 years to complete and the second part, 50 years. From BC 4,000 to BC 400 the BREAD of heaven from Genesis to Malachi prepared; then from AD 45 to AD 95 revealed and served from Matthew to Revelation; this serving is the LAMB as in John 5:46-51

Some years ago on a day much like today I was sitting here, developing the morning devotional. It was a calm morning here in New England, the bright sun made for a promising day and as people woke up I am sure they felt at peace. Suddenly my ambulance pager sounded and in those days the pager made a horrible sound, sort of bone chilling. I was immediately moved from a peaceful moment to one of urgency. The pager had done the job intended.

Peace can be in one part of a community; while in another part, just a short distance away, things can be alarming and full of disappointing results. At a local nursing home someone was stepping out of physical life into eternal life. For the dying the Holy Bible has much to say, yet I know that God is more interested in the living then the dead, so this brings up an important subject for you and me to consider. Are you and I prepared for our trip to eternity?

Did you know that there is not one living person on this earth that is not making the trip to eternity! All of us are enroute. Are your bags packed, are you prepared? For the most part we are not prepared; the fact is that if the trip to eternity were a bus ride and buses were leaving in 30 minutes; many of the buses would be empty, not even the drivers would be on the bus. Some of us spend a lifetime with bags packed and prepared, while others spend a lifetime packing their bags. Well Matthew 25:1-13 explains this much clearer.

The apostle Paul wrote that he wanted to finish his spiritual journey as one who runs a foot race and I believe it was Will Rogers who said that; “why do people run?” Since I never saw anyone running with a smile on their face! As a young person I did my share of jogging and I am certain that Mr. Rogers never saw the jogger after the first mile. Usually the first mile is the hardest to complete but after that there is a sense of peace and joy.

This peace and joy is referred to by the apostle in his final letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:6-9. The first mile for the apostle was tough; Notice Acts 9:1-9. If we have no endurance to run the race in time we will not have kept the faith and that crown of righteousness will not be available in the Day of the LORD.