Are you desperately seeking permanence in life: a stable job or career, a stable financial inflow, a stable relationship or marriage, and spiritual need? We all seek the stability we believe can be found only in a permanent situation. Nobody likes the uncomfortable feeling of floundering around temporariness. Hence we sing and pray, “what the Lord has done for me, it shall be permanent! And so we live each day praying and hoping for a perfect and permanent situation. And you tell yourself: I will be happier when so so and so happens! But we forget to ask the ultimate question: does life offer permanence? Did God create the world and everything in it to be permanent? Does the phrase Heaven and earth will pass away but my Words will not… make sense to you? Does it make you despair or give up?
But, do you know the permanence you seek in this life can be achieved by aligning to the Word of God? If you wish to know, continue reading slowly…
Cf Mark 13:24-32
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In those days, after the time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven…
I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ‘But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. Child of God, indeed Heaven and earth will pass away but only one thing will not, and that is the word of God. God never intended the material world to be permanent. Hence when you pursue these things forgetting the ‘instructional manual’ written by their Maker- God, you’re lost together with them when they pass away. The question now becomes: how best should we use or pursue the things of this world and in a stable or permanent way?
2. If you want to give stability to your desires in this life, align it all to the Divine Words of Jesus for He has overcome the world and all its troubles, and has passed from this temporary world into permanence, solidifying and perfecting our future in His work on the cross (cf Heb 10:14). Pursue righteousness and holiness of life and the temporal goods of life will become permanent as God brings them your way. As you grow in spirit and grace He will make the goods of life permanently available to contain your stage of growth or grace dimension.
3. Knowing that heaven and earth will pass away gives us perspective in life and prevents us from pursuing things of life to our peril. This world is not our home. “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13). It calls us to be attentive and diligent for No one knows the Hour!
4. Never try to manipulate your growth because of eagerness to attain stability before the end of the world, nor try to know the end time. Rather, grow gradually through learning and studying Divine Revelation (God’s Word). Scripture says in Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law”. The date of Christ’s coming has not been revealed, thus it is a secret belonging only to God. The bible is the only revealed Word of God, stay with it, study it day and night, pray with it, make it part of you, and you shall prosper and be successful (Joshua 1:8) and it will save you, for another scripture says:
The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.’ (Daniel 12:3)
TASK: Remember, this world is not your permanent home, everything will expire but the Word of God is permanent. Make it a habit to STUDY and MEDITATE on the Word of God and PRAY with it. Your prayer is empty without it, for you would have no WORD to address problems when it comes, and your MIND will be empty because you wouldn’t know your rights in the physical world and the realm of the Spirit.
I pray for you: As you study, meditate and pray with, and believe the Word of God, may the powerful words therein sanctify, bless and strengthen you to overcome challenges and achieve your hearts desires, in Jesus name. Amen
