The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 133:3b,
"For there [Mount Zion] the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."
"Life forevermore" is eternal life, life without end. We can conceive it but we have never seen it in this life. We all have a shelf-life. We only live so long and then we die. The writer of Hebrews points out, "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many… " We all die, we all will experience setting these bodies we inhabit aside.
This, of course, is not a pleasant thought. When God created mankind, death was not a feature. However, after fair warning, God condemned Adam and Eve, as well as all their progeny (us) to eventual death when they turned their backs on God. We are born into this life with the sentence of death hanging over our heads because of sin.
We attempt all kinds of things to hold off the inevitable. We all know a substantial amount of wealth is spent on efforts to forestall what is incapable of being avoided or evaded. Everything from cosmetic products that help us look not quite as old, to research into how to prolong life (at least avoid the shortening of it) through medical improvements, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle choices, etc. The pursuit of finding that "fountain of youth" is big.
Death is God's curse upon us. It is often assumed that Satan is the author and cause of death, but that betrays a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. Death is God's judgment for mankind's sin. And, we all sin.
But, that is not the whole story! God loves us and although he decreed death as his judgment of us for sin, he has provided us a way! He "bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." He has done this, not by removing his judgment of sin in death, but by providing us a way through his Son, Jesus Christ. Following our physical deaths, we can enter into eternal life!
God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins through sacrificing his life on that cross so that when we leave this life, we can enter into eternal life, "even life forevermore"! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18.
How wonderful is that ?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"For there [Mount Zion] the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."
"Life forevermore" is eternal life, life without end. We can conceive it but we have never seen it in this life. We all have a shelf-life. We only live so long and then we die. The writer of Hebrews points out, "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many… " We all die, we all will experience setting these bodies we inhabit aside.
This, of course, is not a pleasant thought. When God created mankind, death was not a feature. However, after fair warning, God condemned Adam and Eve, as well as all their progeny (us) to eventual death when they turned their backs on God. We are born into this life with the sentence of death hanging over our heads because of sin.
We attempt all kinds of things to hold off the inevitable. We all know a substantial amount of wealth is spent on efforts to forestall what is incapable of being avoided or evaded. Everything from cosmetic products that help us look not quite as old, to research into how to prolong life (at least avoid the shortening of it) through medical improvements, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle choices, etc. The pursuit of finding that "fountain of youth" is big.
Death is God's curse upon us. It is often assumed that Satan is the author and cause of death, but that betrays a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. Death is God's judgment for mankind's sin. And, we all sin.
But, that is not the whole story! God loves us and although he decreed death as his judgment of us for sin, he has provided us a way! He "bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." He has done this, not by removing his judgment of sin in death, but by providing us a way through his Son, Jesus Christ. Following our physical deaths, we can enter into eternal life!
God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins through sacrificing his life on that cross so that when we leave this life, we can enter into eternal life, "even life forevermore"! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18.
How wonderful is that ?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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