We are focusing this month on how God’s promises enable us to live in Christ’s abundant life (John 10:10) with purpose and with power. Here is our fifth and final devotion that helps us understand that fulfilling His purpose secures our place in eternity:

IN WORD – There is an infinitely holy Spirit within this fallen flesh, and He makes us groan with longing. It’s a holy longing that feels the burdens of this world and craves heavenly clothing. Under the weight of the world, heaven calls. We know we were not born to be clothed in fallen flesh forever. Eternity is in our hearts. We were crafted for it, and deep down, the heart knows it.
And when the Spirit fills our lives, we can taste it. The yearning becomes conscious and the desire grows more intense. Our deep needs have been confronted with a promise: Heaven waits for us. Unless you are in peak form and full of vigor, you have already experienced frustration with this earthly tent.
If you haven’t yet, you will. It grows old and weary eventually, and then it dies. The great and precious promises of God have not forgotten that. The provision has been made. When hope in this life proves futile, when bodies ache and souls cry out, we can count on the glorious promise of resurrection. There is an eternal house fitted just for us.
IN DEED – We often forget to live in this world with an eye on eternity, but tragedy and hopelessness remind us to look ahead. One of the greatest gifts God has given us in His Son is an incorruptible eternity with Him. In eternity, bodies will not ache and tears will be wiped away. Trials will be forgotten and joy will be made full. When that time comes, the groaning will stop. Does the thought of the heavenly Kingdom influence your life today? It should.
Your life should be anchored in a future hope. That doesn’t mean you avoid living the Kingdom life right now; it only means that the Kingdom life will be assaulted by trials and tribulations for a time. Unless you have your heart set on heaven, the trials and tribulations will become unbearable. That’s why the Spirit has guaranteed what is to come. Eternity changes everything. “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.” – Thomas Moore (in “Worship the King” by Chris Tiegreen)

We have the blessing that when we are down and out on our backs and looking up, we will not see darkness, but we will see the light of eternity and our living Hope. It is what separates Christianity from every other religion in this world. In Christ, we are not searching for God, but Father God has found us and claims us as His children. No matter what struggles we face in this life, we have a heavenly Father who comes to our aid and will bring us home to dwell with Him for all eternity.
Take time to read the parables in Luke 15 and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the blessings that undergird our calling and purpose in Christ. Have a blessed week! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam