Hope

Sweet Reunion

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Often times on this Earth, reunions are looked forward to with dread. High school and college reunions, even family reunions hold the foreboding sense of seeing people we once knew and not measuring up to their expectations. As a result reunions often motivate people to make changes in their lives – to kick bad habits, eat more healthily, change their appearance or pursue the dream that they have been ignoring. Knowing that they will “give an account” to people from whom they have been separated for a time, inspires many to alter the course of their lives so that others will not think that the time apart has been wasted.

Christians live their lives in anticipation of a reunion of a different sort – a day where we will be reunited with those in Christ who have departed this Earth in order to join Him in glory. Scripture tells us that this reunion should motivate us too – because as we look to the lives that they lived and the sinless state they know enjoy, we should eagerly work to “throw off” the sin the entangles us now (Heb. 12:1). We should be inspired to live more fully for Christ, not because we fear what they will think of us when we meet them again, but because we anticipate sharing in the glory they now enjoy and we recognize that they, as will we, consider every sacrifice for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom well worth it. Our reunion with them is not one that is imbued with dread, but instead it will be filled with sweetness as we celebrate the work of Christ in each of our lives and enjoy the beauty and awe of being with Him.

It is understandable why so many reunions on this Earth cause consternation and despair. It is often difficult to measure up to what others think of us or the impression we want others to have of our lives. However, we would be better served to focus more on our future reunion – the one we will have with those in Christ we have gone before.  Not only will it help keep things here on Earth in perspective, but it will remind us of just one part of the sweetness of Heaven that we will one day enjoy.

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Hope

Be Filled

“Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid in everything that God can devise or man can need. Prayer fills man’s emptiness with God’s fullness. It fills man’s poverty with God’s riches. It puts away man’s weakness with God’s strength. it banishes man’s littleness with God’s greatness. Prayer is God’s plan to supply man’s great and continual need with God’s great and continual abundance.”

– E.M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer

 

It doesn’t take much for us to be depleted. 

The start of a week with a seemingly insurmountable to-do list after a busy and none-too-restful weekend.

A piece of bad news when we feel like we already have all we can handle.

A discouraging word when we’ve tried our best, given our all, and poured our heats for the sake of others.

It doesn’t take much for us to be depleted when we are relying on ourselves and the things of this world to provide our fulfillment. 

We are quick to rely on our own power to get things done.

We search our brains for the solution to our latest problem.

We give ourselves a pep talk to just buckle down and carry on.

And we neglect to turn to the source of abundant riches that God has made available to His children. We draw from our own strength and not from His. We trust our own littleness and instead of casting ourselves on His greatness. We turn inward instead of turning outward, petitioning our Lord in prayer, and trusting Him to meet our needs.

We are in constant need; Scripture tells us to pray continuously (I Thess. 5:17). In doing so we recognize that it is through His power and provision alone that our needs are met and His work is done.

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