Verse of the Day - 1 Peter 1:4

. . . and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ~ 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT)

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Picture this: your Great Uncle Friedrich passes away and remembered you in his will by giving you some real estate. You're pretty excited as you drive to the property so you can survey your inheritance. But as you pull up to the driveway, you realize that you've just been handed a real mess -- a dumping ground for discarded appliances and tires, a veritable haven for weeds of all kinds, and the house . . . mercy! . . . the house looks more battered than Rocky Balboa in the first "Rocky" boxing movie! What was Great Uncle Friedrich thinking?!? What in the world am I supposed to do with this mess? Did he really think he was doing me a favor by willing me this "prime piece of real estate"? Sadly, poor Great Uncle Friedrich probably hadn't seen this land in many a year, perhaps having been in a nursing home for a long time. When he knew this place in his younger years, it had beauty and pride of ownership. But how easy it is in this life for the elements and neglect/abuse to decay and destroy an earthly inheritance.

No matter how hard we try in this life to provide for future generations, any earthly inheritance is temporal and prone to decay and devolvement. In the end, the only thing that's really worth passing on is the Good News of Jesus Christ, because the Word of God says that what is stored up in heaven for those who believe will never change or decay. What that inheritance will be exactly is unknown, but being in God's presence and free from sin is HUGE! It's like getting bequeathed the whole country of France, or an entire continent, only better -- and bigger! The point is that what God has prepared for those who put their faith and hope in Him is "pure and undefiled" -- nothing can tamper with it or destroy it. Time cannot inflict decay, no matter how long it takes for us to receive it. It is held in trust, until the time that only God knows.

One of my favorite sayings is, "Set your eyes on things eternal, not on things temporal." This must be a Joelene paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 4:18 (because I can't find a translation with these exact words), which says . . . "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (NIV) Holding loosely to the things of this life and focusing on those things that don't decay or disappear seems to be a good pattern for living in the now, don't you think?

You may have an inheritance in this life; you may not. You may receive a mansion from an ancestor, or you might get a dilapidated dump from Great Uncle Friedrich. But for those who choose to trust in God, what you have inherited from Him is truly priceless . . . beyond compare and above our comprehension! And I'll bet He can hardly wait to know the joy of our receiving it . . . whatever that will be!

Anyone who trusts in God doesn't have to wonder if they've inherited a lemon -- His eternal blessings are the height of showroom quality and perfect craftmanship!

Love,
Joelene