Weekly Devotional 6-25-12 Lack of Concern
A few weeks ago I was in conversation with a person who has cancer. He had been taking chemotherapy for some time and is presently taking radiation treatments. As we talked I mentioned that it is important that each one of us be in a right relationship with the Lord. He responded by not saying anything and I sensed that he wasn’t really interested in talking about such things. So, I decided not to pursue this line of thought further. I did, however, mention that the Lord asked this question of His disciples, “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Again, no response; so I allowed our conversation to drift back to other things.
Now, I am not sure if the Holy Spirit will cause my friend at some time or other to consider what I said, (I pray that He will), but it is interesting that many, if not most people, seemingly give little thought to their mortality and what lay ahead after the death of their bodies. Scripture affirms that there is life after death and that life continues and does not end with the death of the body.
There are many reasons of course why people spend little time in such considerations. Some just don’t want to think about death, and so they shut all such thoughts out. Some don’t believe that there is life after death so they think only of that which is of their bodies. Others hope that they can push death back a few more years and think to themselves that they will turn to such matters when it is certain that their time has run its course. All such thoughts are of course short sighted. The Bible teaches that the soul/spirit of man is eternal. Life is forever. Man’s soul/spirit lives on after the death of his body. The Bible further teaches that our life will either be in the presence of the Lord or it will be forever cast from Him. A parable spoken by Jesus shortly before His arrest affirms this truth. He wanted His disciples to understand that in light of eternity their eternal soul/spirit mattered more than those things that pertained only to their physical bodies. He said,
“19There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead’”
(Luke 16:19-31).
There are many lessons that are presented in this parable, but my point in this devotional is that each person should, must, prepare himself or herself for eternity. This preparedness begins with searching the Scriptures; they are the road map (so to speak) to heaven. If one will approach them with an open, searching mind, God will speak to him or her through them. They will find themselves being convicted of their sin and of their need of God’s forgiveness and will be convinced by the Holy Spirit that that forgiveness is found in Jesus, God the Son, who gave His life for the ransom of their souls.
“18He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:18-21).
36He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
We each must consider the plight of our soul; it is the only thing that truly matters.
Steve