I'm not even sure where to start because the last few weeks have just been so overwhelming, in a good way. If you haven't heard I'm sorry, but here is the whole story now. A few months ago we decided to start the adoption process. It was an uncertain path for us initially, but especially after reading the book, Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore, we were both convinced that is what we wanted to do. As we went through the process we got more and more excited, but we had no idea how long we'll have to wait. We thought maybe next year sometime? As it turns out we did not have to wait very long at all. Two days after we finished the screening process, we got the call. "We have a baby for you! The mother is about to go into labour any day now and she wants you to take the baby home straight away!" The social worker warned us that it could happen without much warning and there it was, as promised. Not much time to prepare at all! Off course we have been waiting for a baby for more than 3 years now and we are very easy going, so it took about 30 minutes to get the car seat ready and a bag packed. The next day I went to do shopping for some essentials that we did not have on hand, and the rest of our time was spent trying to finish off some work, going for our Vitality tests, getting our vehicle licences renewed, etc. We did not know the sex of the baby and had minimal info about the parents.
Let me just mention that this all happened right after I found out that I was pregnant. Yes, could you believe it? Somehow these two events that are both an answer to years of prayer happened all at once! For only a few minutes we did not know if it would be a wise decision to take in a baby while I'm pregnant, but our excitement and the sure call that this baby was sent to us by God really did not leave us any other option! Whatever it takes, we would find a way to do it. It was still very early days - I had not even been for my six weeks scan yet.
That was at the start of this month. Just a week and a few hours after we learned about our mystery baby's existence, she was born in the early morning hours. As soon as we got the call we rushed off to hospital and immediately met our daughter. She was perfect and beautiful in every way. That moment was so precious and overwhelming and absolutely amazing. A healthy baby girl! The Lord answered the prayer I prayed more than 3 years ago when we so badly wanted Tabitha to get better. But in His plan and timing, Tabitha wasn't to be healed. She was not meant to stay with us. He thought it well to let us be grieved by various trials for a little while, so that our faith, more precious than gold, though tested by fire, may be found to result in the praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 1:6-7)
What a privilege and blessing to have been able to bring our baby girl home straight from hospital. It was so special. And not something that happens too often. The Lord really answered our prayers over and above what we imagined. We called her Yadah - which is a Hebrew word which means to praise God. It suits her perfectly!
She is already over 3 weeks old and we are loving every minute with her. My pregnancy is also going very well. My 12 week scan is due next week!
Another bit of news is that Wessel accepted a job in George. Yes, we are moving closer to my parents who also live there and also closer to my older sister and her family who lives in Paarl. We are looking forward to raising kids by the sea and out of the big city, and having the support system of my parents close by. However we are very sad to leave behind so many great friends we've made over the years here in Joburg and also the church family that we've grown so close to. We will always remember our time here with fond memories of the people that loved, supported and prayed with us over some difficult years. We are so blessed to know every single one of you. And we want to thank everyone that have so faithfully prayed for us for a baby. You are very special to us.
I hope our story does not come across as 'how to get your prayers answered' or 'how to get God to give you what you want'. I do not have a '5 points to victory' or '7 points to get your breakthrough' to share. What I can tell you is that God is not into quick fixes or recipes. He wants our hearts. He wants us to love HIM, not what we can get from Him. I truly believe that when we commit our ways to Him, we don't have to (let me recall things that have been suggested to me before) curse the devil, plead the blood, put your hand on your belly and 'speak life', confess things over your life, go to healing crusades, dig into your past to get to root of the problem/find a lie based hurt/dig up generational curses, etc. There is, after all, no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom 8:1). For the record, I did not do any of these things, because they go against what I believe to be true about the God of the Bible. My message is simply one of trusting God, no matter what the end may be, because He knows best what we need.
Psalm 31:14-15 But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand...
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...
He has already given me the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Jesus, so whatever this life may bring my way, good or bad, I know it is part of His Sovereign plan which is for my good and His glory. Its not about my happiness. Its about my obedience! That is as much as I need to 'do'. Everything I receive is by grace and not because of me. May we never become arrogant and think that God owes us anything or that we can trade off our works in return for rewards from Him.
Psalm 135:6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Happy endings are nice. But its not a promise in this life. The promise of the Bible is far greater than that. The happy ending God promises for His children is permanent perfection and LIFE eternal! (Rev 21:1-5) If you are in the 'waiting period' or if your life did not turn out the way you planned, may you cling fast to that overshadowing promise! It will not disappoint! With or without earthly blessings, I still look forward to that day!
Ps. With everything going on and the move being in only 2 weeks, I really struggled to get so far to write down what was on my heart. You'll have to wait for next time for the pictures!
Thursday 4 December 2014
Monday 29 September 2014
Tears of joy
It is three years today since I held our precious Tabitha in my arms while watching her die. Still by far the toughest day in my life. When I think back I feel immense sadness, yet I remember the peace and calm that overshadowed the whole ordeal. It cannot be explained except by supernatural intervention.
I think back over that time and the last three years, with utter joy and thankfulness in my heart. God brought us through everything, never leaving us alone, strengthening us, growing us and illuminating His Word to us more through His Spirit, teaching us to love Him and each other more, as our focus shifted to be more Christ centered. To be more Christ centered means to have a clearer understanding of what it is that He accomplished on the cross for me, which puts every little (or big) problem in perspective. It also means to apply Christ's work more practically to life - to view every situation through the lens of the Cross. Is it really possible to rejoice every day in your salvation - without faking it?
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. (Ps 13:5)
Yes, I will have to say, a big and resounding definite YES! Because it is a free gift that I did not deserve and that I cannot take any credit for, it is mere grace. It is also something that I could not ever earn despite my best efforts, even if I tried. To have my sins forgiven and have Christ's righteousness imputed to me, is an inexhaustible source of joy! Do you know why Christ came, why He had to die or what exactly He accomplished?
True riches is something money can't buy, and death can't steal.
This does not imply that mini joys and disappointments don't affect me. Off course it does. But these are temporary and has no effect on the real source of my eternal joy. Tears are never really far from me. But the sadness of yesterday or the uncertainties of the future cannot take away this joy. Neither can any possible future blessing add anything to the joy of my salvation. It is finished! 100% complete! It is settled in my heart and sealed by the Holy Spirit. In Christ, I have indeed received every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3-14). If you struggle with this (which we all do), you need to, with God's help, learn to focus more on Jesus and what He did than on yourself and your problems. Study Jesus' redemptive work to give more substance to your understanding of this free gift, and hence result in a) a realization of your sin and need for a Saviour or b) more love and thankfulness toward Christ and c) more daily joy despite your circumstances because of what you've received!
Have a blessed day everybody.
I think back over that time and the last three years, with utter joy and thankfulness in my heart. God brought us through everything, never leaving us alone, strengthening us, growing us and illuminating His Word to us more through His Spirit, teaching us to love Him and each other more, as our focus shifted to be more Christ centered. To be more Christ centered means to have a clearer understanding of what it is that He accomplished on the cross for me, which puts every little (or big) problem in perspective. It also means to apply Christ's work more practically to life - to view every situation through the lens of the Cross. Is it really possible to rejoice every day in your salvation - without faking it?
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. (Ps 13:5)
Yes, I will have to say, a big and resounding definite YES! Because it is a free gift that I did not deserve and that I cannot take any credit for, it is mere grace. It is also something that I could not ever earn despite my best efforts, even if I tried. To have my sins forgiven and have Christ's righteousness imputed to me, is an inexhaustible source of joy! Do you know why Christ came, why He had to die or what exactly He accomplished?
True riches is something money can't buy, and death can't steal.
This does not imply that mini joys and disappointments don't affect me. Off course it does. But these are temporary and has no effect on the real source of my eternal joy. Tears are never really far from me. But the sadness of yesterday or the uncertainties of the future cannot take away this joy. Neither can any possible future blessing add anything to the joy of my salvation. It is finished! 100% complete! It is settled in my heart and sealed by the Holy Spirit. In Christ, I have indeed received every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3-14). If you struggle with this (which we all do), you need to, with God's help, learn to focus more on Jesus and what He did than on yourself and your problems. Study Jesus' redemptive work to give more substance to your understanding of this free gift, and hence result in a) a realization of your sin and need for a Saviour or b) more love and thankfulness toward Christ and c) more daily joy despite your circumstances because of what you've received!
Have a blessed day everybody.
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| I decided to add this picture that I took today - I planted this rose in remembrance of Tabitha about 2 years ago. With perfect timing it surprised me with its first spring bloom! Miss you too little girl! Ps. it is a miniature rose called 'Jadine'. This rose reminded me of Tabitha - tiny, girly, perfect and beautiful. It was aptly named by Ludwig's Roses to raise money for a sick baby - another good reason I chose it! |
Monday 25 August 2014
Unveiled - the Kite flying pics in Namibia!
(click on the pics to enlarge)  |
| My handsome dear husband |
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| My dad, helping with the launch! |
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| Running to make up for the (lack of) wind! |
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| Fly, beauty, fly! |
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| Me emptying my shoe while climbing Dune 45! (Evidently not sand-proof) |
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| My parents. Love them much! |
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| Wessel flying our kite in Henties. |
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| Finally, my turn! |
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| Watching the sunset that same evening. It is as peaceful as it looks there! |
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| My favourite group pic of us at the Quiver Tree Forest outside Keetmanshoop. |
Tabitha turns 3
We were privileged to be on holiday in Namibia with my parents during the time of Tabitha's 3rd birthday. Going away during this time is not a bad idea at all, I realised, and spending it with 3 people very close to me was a bonus. Off course we built another kite - bigger and better than last year, slightly more refined with an aluminium structure as opposed to a wooden one, and a longer and heavier tail. I'd like to share some pictures with you (see next post). We were in Dead Valley, Sossusvlei on her birthday. I'm pretty sure we are the first people to ever fly a kite there! But the wind was only blowing ever so slightly so we flew it a second time when we got to Henties Bay on the Skeleton Coast.
We have also been confronted with death in our family recently with the passing of Wessel's grandmother, Ouma Martha at the age of 91. We thank the Lord that she was a believer and that the family can be comforted by that. We pray that the Lord will be glorified in the memory of her life and death.
It is actually quite simple. Peace cannot be found apart from God. And God cannot be found apart from Jesus. (John 14:6) Jesus can only be found through repentance and faith. And when you do, you will experience rest for your soul. Peace. Not only in the afterlife, but even now. There is no way for a soul to find rest when it is troubled by sin and guilt. Consciously or unconsciously. The human soul will always be searching until it finds what God intended it to find. It is again God's loving way to prompt a person to cry out to Him and be saved. He will not give you peace if you do not turn to Him for forgiveness of sin and salvation. He promised that those who search for Him with all their hearts will find Him.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
We do this every year in memory of Tabitha. We still miss her everyday and never want to forget her, or the truths we learned through her life and death. We are still thankful that the Lord thought it well to bring this tragedy into our lives to draw us closer to Him, and hang on to the eternal Hope which we have in His Son, Jesus. (Ps 115:3, Job 42:2, Ps 103:19, Lam 3:37, James 1:2-4, Rom 8:28) He is a loving Father who knows what is best for us. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 says, "Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him."
We have also been confronted with death in our family recently with the passing of Wessel's grandmother, Ouma Martha at the age of 91. We thank the Lord that she was a believer and that the family can be comforted by that. We pray that the Lord will be glorified in the memory of her life and death.
R.I.P.?
With all this thinking about the futility of life, especially also with the media buzz that went on around the tragic passing of Robin Williams recently, I thought it well to write down a few thoughts about people's response to death. A popular response is always to say 'R.I.P.'. But what does it mean? Off course its a way for well meaning people to show their condolences after someone's passing away. But will they really rest in peace? Will your wishing that they rest in peace make any difference? If they couldn't find rest here will they find it hereafter? I'm sorry to discuss such a grim topic but this is a message for the living, not the dead. Lets think about this while there is still an opportunity to change our eternal destiny.It is actually quite simple. Peace cannot be found apart from God. And God cannot be found apart from Jesus. (John 14:6) Jesus can only be found through repentance and faith. And when you do, you will experience rest for your soul. Peace. Not only in the afterlife, but even now. There is no way for a soul to find rest when it is troubled by sin and guilt. Consciously or unconsciously. The human soul will always be searching until it finds what God intended it to find. It is again God's loving way to prompt a person to cry out to Him and be saved. He will not give you peace if you do not turn to Him for forgiveness of sin and salvation. He promised that those who search for Him with all their hearts will find Him.
Sadly some people in their self-righteousness and rebellion toward God never do that. Tragically they will not rest in peace, but will face the wages of sin and enter into the second death, which is eternal and cannot be undone. The Bible describes it, among other things, as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), destruction and separation from God (2 Thes 1:5-9 - "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God ... when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might...")
When a person dies who is in Christ, however, they immediately are in the presence of God. (2 Corinthians 5:8) And when a person who still lives, believes, he immediately enters into God's rest. In fact, Christ himself is the fulfillment of the Sabbath rest. (Mark 2:28) Rom 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I hope you will see that my intention is not to condemn anyone. Only God truly knows who were saved through Jesus, even if it was in their last moments. Some who have lost loved ones who might not have been saved, might be tempted to reject this message, but I urge you to not harden your hearts to the Truth of God's Word, because even if it is too late for them, it is not too late for you. Call on Him while He can be found! And while the punishment (which nobody likes to talk about) seems harsh, know that God is righteous and just. He will not let the guilty go unpunished (Nahum 1:3). But He is also loving, which is why He lowered himself to human level to become the perfect sacrifice for sin (Phil 2:5-11, 2 Cor 5:21), so that He can bail all of us out, who would otherwise also be guilty. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor 15:22). I thank Him every day that He paid my ransom and that I am free from the consequences of sin I actually deserved! The difference between being declared 'innocent' and 'guilty' is therefore not how good you are, but if you are in Jesus, the only One who is truly good in God's eyes!
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Thursday 7 August 2014
A life verse
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:19-24 ESV)
Thursday 24 July 2014
Its hard to wait
It is hard to wait.
I remember the odd occasion of waiting for my parents to come and fetch me after school or school activities. I didn't like to wait but I never thought they wouldn't come. I knew they loved me and wouldn't just leave me there. I trusted them. I guess if they were strangers I would stress quite a bit, because I would have no security to know if they would come or not. But I did know them and they have never abandoned me before, so I knew they were just running late. They still loved me, but for some or other reason beyond my control they were not there when I expected them. My trust in them was based on our relationship. I knew them. I knew what type of people they are. Knowing who they are was what kept me calm and made the waiting more bearable.
The same goes for our Heavenly Father. Its not hard to trust Him when we know Him. It doesn't make the waiting pleasant but definitely more bearable. Trusting the God I know puts my heart at rest and gives me peace. But it doesn't start with the trust. It starts with learning who He is, getting to know Him through His revelation of Himself to us, the inspired Word, the Bible.
Sometimes I hear of people who pride themselves in praying or singing to God for hours but hardly ever make the same effort to read their Bibles. That's no way to get to know God, unless our prayers and songs are preceded by an effort to know who He is, as revealed in Scripture. How can you get to know someone if you are always doing all the talking? And God talking to us is no mystical thing. Its plain, written in a language you can understand, with the mind He has given you, on paper you can touch. Its not subjective. Its clear and simple! How thankful I am for that! You don't need to be clever to get to know Him. You don't need to be rich or give a certain amount for Him to hear you. He has promised to reveal Himself to everyone who seeks Him with a broken and a contrite heart. Isn't God amazing that what He requires from us is something all of us can give? It requires humility, not sacrifices. Sadly, few people are willing to give it, but everyone has the capacity to.
In Psalm 51:17, David says, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.'
Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, 'Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear
you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your
heart.'
Psalm 34:18 says, 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'
Psalm 9:10 says, 'And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.'
Isaiah 26:3-4, 'You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.'
I remember the odd occasion of waiting for my parents to come and fetch me after school or school activities. I didn't like to wait but I never thought they wouldn't come. I knew they loved me and wouldn't just leave me there. I trusted them. I guess if they were strangers I would stress quite a bit, because I would have no security to know if they would come or not. But I did know them and they have never abandoned me before, so I knew they were just running late. They still loved me, but for some or other reason beyond my control they were not there when I expected them. My trust in them was based on our relationship. I knew them. I knew what type of people they are. Knowing who they are was what kept me calm and made the waiting more bearable.
The same goes for our Heavenly Father. Its not hard to trust Him when we know Him. It doesn't make the waiting pleasant but definitely more bearable. Trusting the God I know puts my heart at rest and gives me peace. But it doesn't start with the trust. It starts with learning who He is, getting to know Him through His revelation of Himself to us, the inspired Word, the Bible.
Sometimes I hear of people who pride themselves in praying or singing to God for hours but hardly ever make the same effort to read their Bibles. That's no way to get to know God, unless our prayers and songs are preceded by an effort to know who He is, as revealed in Scripture. How can you get to know someone if you are always doing all the talking? And God talking to us is no mystical thing. Its plain, written in a language you can understand, with the mind He has given you, on paper you can touch. Its not subjective. Its clear and simple! How thankful I am for that! You don't need to be clever to get to know Him. You don't need to be rich or give a certain amount for Him to hear you. He has promised to reveal Himself to everyone who seeks Him with a broken and a contrite heart. Isn't God amazing that what He requires from us is something all of us can give? It requires humility, not sacrifices. Sadly, few people are willing to give it, but everyone has the capacity to.
In Psalm 51:17, David says, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.'
Psalm 34:18 says, 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'
(note - this is not like when your boyfriend left you - its about being broken because you realise your sin before a Holy God)
(Poor in spirit is the same as broken in spirit.)
(See also Luke 18:13-14)
What is it about God that we are supposed to know?
The Bible reveals everything about God that we are supposed to know. The most important thing you can do is to study God's attributes, because anything else you might think about Him is just an opinion and will cause you to break the second commandment (Ex 20:3-4). To list just a few of His amazing attributes: He is eternal, immortal, infinite, unchanging (therefore absolutely trustworthy), unequaled, perfect, unfathomable, just, omnipotent, all-powerful, omnipresent, omniscient (He knows the past, present and future), righteous, sovereign, holy, gracious, good, merciful and loving. He is actually unsearchable, meaning we will never fully comprehend who He is because He's so big it totally surpasses our human minds. And just try to get your head around the fact that He is all of these things perfectly, and at the same time, all the time.
When you start to understand a little bit more of who God is, its easy to trust Him. Just like its easy to trust someone you know well, that you know loves you, and that has never let you down. Except God is perfect. That person is not.
That, I believe, is the key to waiting on God with a quiet and humble acceptance of His will in my life. If He really is all those things, His plan will not frustrate me. It cannot. Even if I have to wait all my life, knowing Him is enough to quiet my soul and make me content. Whenever I forget who He is (which happens if I don't constantly remind myself) I get anxious and frustrated. But then, like in Job 38 when God finally speaks to poor Job, who didn't know what was happening, I am reminded, of who God is, and that is
enough.
enough.
Isaiah 26:3-4, 'You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.'
If you're not getting the right answer its because you're asking the wrong question. Its not why? Its WHO?
Sunday 20 April 2014
Living in a tent is not fun
The most important weekend in the Christian calendar prompted me to share something that's been on my heart and mind. To clarify what this weekend is about - for all who got caught up in chocolate eating and bunny loving - Christ was crucified according to the Scripture's prophecies, dying the death of a criminal as an innocent man, thereby satisfying a just God's wrath as the final and spotless Lamb, not only atoning for sin but paying for it completely, once and for all. As believers, who have recognised our need for a Saviour, our debt of sin is pardoned as Christ acts as our substitute, the One who bailed us out of our hopeless and miserable condition. Yes, dying twice is hopeless and miserable, the second death being a spiritual and eternal death, i.e. the lake of fire. (Rev 21:8). His righteousness is then imputed to us, so that we can stand blameless before a holy God. And then, most importantly, He has risen again on the third day, proving that He is the Son of God and that the Scriptures are true, as it foretold His coming, crucifixion and resurrection (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, etc).
Now consider this:
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor 15:17-19)
How often do I hear people, even pastors, emphasising their hope in this life, ignoring and forgetting their eternal Hope, which is so much more significant. If Christ's death and resurrection means nothing more to you than 'freedom to live your life to the fullest', 'hope of a bright future', 'a life of abundance', 'confidence and boldness', 'favour', 'expecting greater things', 'being set free from bad habits', etc, you, of all people are most to be pitied, according to Paul. Sadly the notion is to get so comfortable in this life that we have no longing (or fear, depending on your position in Christ) anymore for the promised life (or death) to come. If this is you, trying to live your best life now, please notice the red lights flashing.
As Christians we are not to make this world our home. Paul, in 2 Cor 5, likens this life to a tent dwelling, and heaven to a permanent building, which is our real home. 'For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling...'(v2) and 'For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life' (v4). Now I don't know about you, but as much as camping can be fun, after about 2 days I long for my permanent home, with a soft bed and a warm shower and an on-suite toilet. To pretend that permanent tent-living is fun is just silly. This life is not perfect. Its full of disappointment, pain, corruption, death and evil. If you haven't noticed, the fact that Christ died and was resurrected has not taken those things away. Not even for the Christian. Not yet. But it will, one day, when He comes back to establish His Kingdom. (Rev 21:3-5)
Lets also look at Romans 8:18-25 :
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Now consider this:
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor 15:17-19)
How often do I hear people, even pastors, emphasising their hope in this life, ignoring and forgetting their eternal Hope, which is so much more significant. If Christ's death and resurrection means nothing more to you than 'freedom to live your life to the fullest', 'hope of a bright future', 'a life of abundance', 'confidence and boldness', 'favour', 'expecting greater things', 'being set free from bad habits', etc, you, of all people are most to be pitied, according to Paul. Sadly the notion is to get so comfortable in this life that we have no longing (or fear, depending on your position in Christ) anymore for the promised life (or death) to come. If this is you, trying to live your best life now, please notice the red lights flashing.
As Christians we are not to make this world our home. Paul, in 2 Cor 5, likens this life to a tent dwelling, and heaven to a permanent building, which is our real home. 'For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling...'(v2) and 'For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life' (v4). Now I don't know about you, but as much as camping can be fun, after about 2 days I long for my permanent home, with a soft bed and a warm shower and an on-suite toilet. To pretend that permanent tent-living is fun is just silly. This life is not perfect. Its full of disappointment, pain, corruption, death and evil. If you haven't noticed, the fact that Christ died and was resurrected has not taken those things away. Not even for the Christian. Not yet. But it will, one day, when He comes back to establish His Kingdom. (Rev 21:3-5)
Lets also look at Romans 8:18-25 :
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
If, as a Christian, you are not longing and crying out to God (like a women giving birth in ancient times, i.e. without painkillers) for the imperfect to be replaced with the perfect, you might not understand the gospel at all. Yes, we can experience freedom from the guilt of sin and peace in our hearts in this life, but our real freedom is freedom from the second death, victory from pain and sin. This is what Paul was talking about when he said:
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 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?”
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. (1 Cor 15:51-56)
If you don't value the permanent over the temporal, your faith will fail when you get tested in times of persecution and trials. If you serve Him and love Him because of the benefits in this life, you will probably have to settle for your best life now anyway, because you have no eternal Hope. If your understanding of the gospel is confined to this life, you are believing a false gospel.
God's grace constantly reminds us of the temporary nature of this life. We age, we die. We will one day have to leave these tents and all other earthly things behind. All of us. But knowing that Jesus was raised from the dead gives us a promise and a hope. Christ became the "first fruits" (first crop from the harvest) of all who will be raised. That points to the fact that the resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of believers. We can indeed and unashamedly look forward to and long for the day when our bodies which are perishable, dishonored, weak and natural will one day be raised to bodies that are imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual (1 Cor 15:42-44). And that, my friends, is the hope of the gospel and enough to not be knocked over by any unfavourable circumstances.
May your Passover Weekend be filled with the joy of that Hope.
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