Daily Reading: Luke 20
Scripture Focus: For they cannot die anymore... (Luke 20.36)
Devotional Thought: I once heard it said, "There is none freer than the one who has nothing to lose." Are you living your life like that? You can.
Jesus was confronted by a group of skeptics who wanted to debunk his belief in heaven. They were saying, in essence, "This life is all there is to live for." In other words, this life was all they had, so they had everything to lose. Jesus said, "Oh, but you are wrong. There is a life to come, and when you reach that life there will be no more death."
In heaven we have nothing we can lose. We cannot lose our lives, for the resurrection has banished death forever. We cannot lose our health, because there is not sickness there. We cannot lose our friends, for neither is there separation in that land. We cannot lose our joy, for sorrow cannot cast its shadow there. We cannot lose our way, for there is no darkness there.
We cannot die in any measure in that place that is called heaven.
Through Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life. Nothing can steal it away from us, not even death. We are promised abundant life. Nothing can diminish its joy, not even sorrow.
Are you laying up treasures in heaven, "where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6.20)? Or, are you living for this world only where everything you are living for will be lost?
I want to go to that city where "they cannot die anymore." Amen!
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for giving me eternal life, abundant life. Help me to live this life that I may enter the life where I will never die anymore. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge! 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. (Psalms 143:7-12)
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