To Live is Christ; June 13, 2022

Posted on June 16, 2022 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This simple yet extraordinarily powerful statement of Paul is justly famous. I think a lot of people know it who have no idea where to find it in the Bible. It is shocking because it is so different from the attitude of the vast majority of people on the earth. We tend to be consumed by the here-and-now, but Paul already had his eyes fixed on heaven. It’s not at all that he ignored the world around him, as the verses that follow make clear, but he knew what was genuinely important and eternal. We might admire and applaud his attitude, but at the same time realize we aren’t there yet. Actually, even Paul’s emotions weren’t constant, as 2 Timothy, his last letter that we have from before his execution, makes clear. At the same time, as 2 Timothy also makes clear, the attitude expressed in this verse indeed continued and carried him through to the gates of heaven. The devil does all he can to distract us from such an attitude, both with pleasant things and unpleasant ones. When we have pleasant experiences we are to thank God for them, and when we have unpleasant experiences we are to submit them to God for Him to turn them around for good. (Romans 8:28) In either case, we need to keep our focus on God and know that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) If we will do that, then we can live in peace, with the attitude Paul expresses here.

This is an attitude I’ve been growing in, particularly in recent years. That’s a good thing, since I’m now 73! That said, consistency in it is something for which I definitely need the help of God. My flesh isn’t very comfortable with it! It is in some ways more difficult to deal with it in relation to my wife, who has an overabundance of medical issues. I earnestly want God’s best for her, which is of course ultimately heaven, but at the same time I want her to stay here with me. That’s rather selfish of me, but I’m being honest here. I want her to be freed from her various pains, and I am rather in awe of all that she continues to do in spite of them. I want to be the support that she needs, and at the same time I know that she is not my ultimate reason for living; Jesus is. I’m not to focus on “to die is gain,” but rather on, “to live is Christ.” This past week has been remarkable in many ways, both in terms of difficulty and in seeing God work. He had another appointment for me yesterday, and it was awesome to see who He had questioning me about things of faith, and also who He had immediately next to us to overhear everything that was being said. I am to look forward to such appointments constantly, even though I seldom know when they are coming, because they are genuine demonstrations of “to live is Christ.” He’s got stuff for me to do, and that is glorious!

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Thank You for the improvement in Cathy’s situation. I do pray for clear guidance as to what we are to do each day, so that we will act in neither fear nor presumption, but rather follow Your schedule to do Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Each Part; June 12, 2022

Posted on June 15, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Growth, and for that matter success, is dependent on structure and cooperative effort. Even seemingly insignificant, minor details are often essential to the whole. That is clear right now with the economic embargo of Russia over the Ukraine war, as they are unable to get parts from the West for their aircraft, and maintenance becomes a major issue. Sometimes the lack of a $50 part can keep a multi-million dollar aircraft from flying safely. The same thing applies in churches. People may think they are insignificant and unimportant, but the Body needs all its parts to function correctly. The loss of one toe, for example, can make a person need to learn to walk all over again, because balance depends on all the toes being there. We tend to think of toes as only being “necessary” for finding furniture in the dark! Churches grow as God intends when individual members realize that they are as much a part of the whole as the pastor or any other staff member is. As verse 12 of this chapter famously declares, the job of the “big name” people is “to prepare God’s people for works of service,” not to do all the work themselves. As this verse says, growth happens when every supporting ligament, each part, does its work. When churches really grasp that, growth is organic.

This has been a major area of weakness throughout my ministry. I was gifted in many different areas, and far too often I have taken the “easy” course of doing things myself instead of training others to do them. Recently that situation has improved, I think, but we are currently facing another test, because my wife is showing strong evidence of needing another back surgery, and she is my first responsibility. The schedule for this week is packed, but things will have to shift and change. Thankfully, God has recently provided another pianist, so my wife is freed from that for this morning’s service. The question arises of what help to get from whom. Most of the scheduling conflict isn’t directly church related, but I am certainly reminded that I am a small cog, totally dependent on the grace of God. I am not omnipotent, whatever I or anyone else might have thought! I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, just as He has told me to do, so that I can hear His guidance and operate in His wisdom, not trusting my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) God has been doing some very good things in this church recently, and I’ve got to remember on every level that none of it is my own doing, but it is all His grace and mercy.

Father, thank You for this, too. I hate it that there is so much pain for Cathy involved, both physical and emotional, but I thank You that You never allow anything in our lives that You can’t use for good, for blessing. I pray that Your purposes, and Yours alone, would be fulfilled in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Belonging; June 11, 2022

Posted on June 15, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Every human being has the desire to belong, to a family, a group, a nation, to something. Some cultures focus on that more than others, and Japan is a somewhat extreme example. In fact, their sense of racial/cultural identity is comparable only to that of the Jews, in my opinion. That makes this part of Ephesians especially pointed in this culture. We really have only a partial picture of all that Jesus accomplished on the cross, but even what we can see is glorious indeed. The part that Paul is focusing on here is the demolition of every dividing wall: every wall dividing people and every wall dividing people from God. In Christ every fundamental need of the human soul is met: the need to belong, the need to be loved, the need to be accepted. It is very obvious that the devil is a divider; one look at America today makes that abundantly clear. Those who are in Christ need to see through the devil’s lies and stand against him. That’s not to condone sin, (as the devil always tries to get us to do) but it is indeed to love the sinner. Repentance is the only requirement. The church should be the most “barrier-free” place in society, but sadly it often isn’t. In the Azusa Street Revival of a hundred years ago, the main preacher was a one-eyed Black man named William Seymore, and people flocked from all over the world to hear him. However, interracial “fraternization” was frowned on by secular society, and “Black” and “White” denominations arose as a result. That was tragic. We need to remember that the world’s standards, the world’s “wisdom,” simply don’t apply in the Body of Christ, because Jesus Christ demolished all the barriers through His body on the cross.

I have dealt with this all my life. Like most TCKs (Third Culture Kids) I have had trouble with feeling like I belonged anywhere, with barriers seeming to arise at every turn. As a pastor in Virginia I had to resign over the racial issue, because the church board wasn’t ready to accept Blacks entering heaven “through their living room,” to quote one man. Thankfully, this current congregation is remarkably accepting, with people from many nations having been part of it over the years. Even today we have four “passports” in regular attendance, with a fifth likely to join soon. In fact, a recent addition was welcomed by a Japanese with the comment that “I think we have more non-Japanese than Japanese,” and he was being genuinely welcoming. That new person seems a bit overwhelmed by the acceptance! I am to continue to strive to express the truth of this passage, especially to show the Japanese that they too are acceptable in the family of God. Frankly, I struggled with ministering to so many “foreigners” over the years, when I feel especially called to the Japanese, but God has opened my eyes to understand Paul’s desire to “provoke the Jews to envy” (Romans 11:13-14) by his ministry to Gentiles. I am to welcome all the Lord brings my way, of whatever nationality or race, because there are indeed no barriers in the Body of Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I be an effective representative of Christ to all, so that as many as possible may repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Purpose; June 10, 2022

Posted on June 13, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is no accident that the binding of my Bible is broken at this point, with pages threatening to fall out. All 10 verses of this morning’s reading are underlined, and I can quote most of the passage verbatim. It’s no wonder my grandfather wrote his best book on Ephesians! However familiar Scripture might be, we still have to apply it, to live it out, for it to be effective in our lives, and that is what this verse is all about. Many people feel they have no purpose in life, but this verse takes care of that immediately. Many things around us have “off-label” uses, things for which they are effective but which the manufacturer wasn’t thinking of. Medicines are of course famous in that area, with some, like Viagra, becoming famous for something quite unrelated to the blood pressure issues for which they were originally formulated. However, our Manufacturer is omniscient, and He knows every detail of what we will be useful for. We are prone to pursue “off-label” stuff, but it is never fully effective or satisfying. The problem is, we can’t read our labels! The only logical course is to ask our Manufacturer what we are supposed to be doing, and then to follow His directions. Many people live lives of great unhappiness by trying to be something or do something that was not in God’s design for them, and that is tragic. A hammer might desire to be a saw, but attempting to function as one would be amusing at best and disastrous at worst. The thing is, hammers and saws don’t have free will, and we do. If God created us to be a hammer, then our goal should be to be the best hammer around, rather than anything else. I think the “good,” of the “good works” in this verse, applies on every level, morally and experientially and effectively. What God prepares for us to do is good by definition, and it is good for us in doing it, and it produces good results when accomplished. Anyone who is debating their purpose in life needs to turn to their Manufacturer!

Of course this applies to me as well. I have had various ideas as to what I was supposed to do or would like to do, and some of those have been pretty far off the mark. However, God has been gracious and faithful to nudge me and rein me in and push me along, and that has always been the best way for me. As the Westminster Catechism puts it, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” I do enjoy God! I am very aware of the truth in Jesus’s statement that “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) However, I have also experienced the truth in Paul’s statement that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) God has given me many abilities, and sometimes I have been at quite a loss as to what ability to use how and where. Sometimes I’ve listened accurately, and sometimes I’ve failed to listen at all. Accurate listening is always the best course! It is in knowing my God and walking with Him that I will experience all the good things for which I was created, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’ve been doing in the past few days. I feel like the devil is really upset, and he’s mounting quite an attack on Cathy physically. Show us how to submit to You so as to resist him, so that he may indeed flee (James 4:7) and Cathy be set free from pain and disability, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing God; June 9, 2022

Posted on June 12, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

This passage, though exceedingly rich in content and meaning, is very hard to write on because from verse 18 through 23 it’s one sentence in the Greek, making verse and sentence divisions quite arbitrary in any translation. That makes the content of this verse all the more important, because we need God’s help in deciphering what Paul has written! Actually, Paul’s prayer here is appropriate for us to pray for anyone, and for anyone to pray for us, for that matter. God, being infinite, is far beyond our finite intellect to grasp, so we have to have His help in understanding Him. It’s just like He told Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) However, God in His infinite grace does reveal Himself to us in various ways. (Hebrews 1:1-2) That said, we need not only His revelation but also His wisdom, to interpret and understand what He reveals to us. After all, Jesus was God’s perfect revelation of Himself, yet even His disciples didn’t understand that properly. (John 14:9) That’s one of many reasons the Holy Spirit is essential to us. Only He can get past all our preconceptions and ignorance to enable us to know the Father. Many people seek the Holy Spirit for the sake of power. He is indeed the channel of God’s power to and through us, but I think that the more we grow spiritually, the more we agree with Paul, whose goal was “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) Knowing God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – should be our all-consum­ing goal. That said, knowledge alone doesn’t cut it, because genuine knowledge produces action. Otherwise, we’re just deceiving ourselves. (James 1:22)

This couldn’t apply to me more. I enjoy knowing stuff, and I have been described as a walking dictionary or encyclopedia, but all of that is totally insignificant compared to the “surpassing greatness” (Philippians 3:8) of knowing my God. As the Gaither song says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” That is perhaps the greatest joy of spiritual growth for me, and perhaps my greatest anticipation of heaven, because “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of knowing You through Your Son by the power of Your Spirit. Thank You also for the likewise incredible privilege of leading others to know You. It is sweet indeed to share Christ in various ways with people who are open and hungry. I pray that I wouldn’t get in the way, but allow You to work through me to draw people to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assurance of Salvation; June 8, 2022

Posted on June 12, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.

I am particularly aware of difficulties in translation in Ephesians because it was the subject of one of my grandfather’s greatest books, The Glory of God and the Christian Calling, for which he did his own translation, influencing all subsequent English translations of Ephesians. What strikes me at the moment is that this particular section is more easily expressed in Japanese than in English, showing that in some ways Japanese culture has more in common with 1st Century Mediterranean culture than American culture does. I’m referring to the whole idea of a seal. Digital technology is rapidly removing this from Japanese culture as well, but we still have “name stamps,” carved from wood, plastic, bone, ivory, or even stone, pressed onto official documents of all sorts, generally using a specific type of ink to leave the impression. Back when such things were only hand-carved, totally identical seals were a virtual impossibility, guaranteeing a registered one was authentic. Today, modern technology makes cranking out identical copies a matter of utmost simplicity, which is why their use is fading, but they are still very much around. The point here is that the Holy Spirit is totally unique, and cannot be faked accurately. (Demonic spirits try to fake Him, but that’s another discussion.) When we have the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that everything else God has promised is coming. That isn’t to make us cocky and presumptive, but rather to counter the devil’s lies that we have believed in vain and our salvation is fleeting. It is by the Holy Spirit that martyrs can literally go out singing praises to God!

Naturally this applies to me, since it is the inheritance of every believer. I have had some real slip-ups, and if I were God I’m not sure I’d keep me around, but thankfully, God’s not like me! He has marked me with His seal and it’s not going away, even if I ignore it or even try to cover it up at times. The point is, I’m to live like one bought and paid for by God, living for Him and not from selfish motives, allowing His Spirit full reign in my life. Gratitude for salvation should permeate every part of my life, causing not only instant obedience but also overflowing joy. The idea that the Creator of the universe would care enough about me to send His Son to die for me and then join His Spirit with mine is absolutely mind-blowing, but it is my very real experience. If I didn’t have the Bible to explain it, even I probably wouldn’t believe it! However, since I do believe it, I am to do all I can to help others come to that place of repentance and faith, so that they too may have an assurance of salvation that will anchor them and lift them up, regardless of their circumstances.

Father, thank You for arranging that beautiful opportunity yesterday to express the Gospel to that father and daughter. They are obviously seeking something, and I pray that You would reveal to them that they have found it. As I see them again over the next few days I pray that You would open their hearts and that I would speak only and exactly what You want me to, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Liberty; June 7, 2022

Posted on June 11, 2022 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.

Particularly following the first verse of this chapter, this is a very important verse. America was founded on the concept of freedom, with the Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty properly enshrined. Slavery has been endemic throughout the world for all of human history, but America is the only nation to have fought a civil war to abolish it. Unfortunately, as has also been common throughout human history, many people have mistaken freedom for license, the permission to indulge in anything at all, and that is exactly what Paul is addressing here. This problem isn’t unique to America! The Bible makes it very clear that we are accountable to God for everything we do, but most of us have very little grasp of how our actions affect others, or how many others they affect. During my college days, “If it feels good, do it,” was the mantra many people lived by, and that started a massive decline in public morality. This verse, and actually on through the end of the chapter, is the answer to that. We aren’t to be legalists, focusing on dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s, but we are to be focused on serving God through serving each other. That is the road to genuine freedom and joy. It is the opposite of addiction, in which people become slaves to their “freedoms.”

Jamie Buckingham was for many years the editor of Charisma Magazine, and an excellent one at that. I always delighted to read his insightful columns that appeared on the last page of most issues. I remember one such column in which he dealt with his freedom to drink alcohol. He had been raised as a “tea-totaler,” but friends had said that was legalistic, and he tried drinking for a while. He stopped before long, however, realizing that however well he might handle alcohol, others might not do as well, and he was in a position of influence. He had no medical need for alcohol, as there might be in a place where the water supply was not safe, and influencing others to drink was not kind to them. That is the philosophy I have followed for many years now. As a pastor I don’t focus on prohibitions, but rather on privileges. We have the privilege of not being enslaved to alcohol or anything else! To be honest, very few of the alcoholic drinks I have tried have tasted good to me, and I feel no need of numbing myself, either, so there’s very little temptation. That said, my focus needs to be on serving those around me in the love of God, and not on any particular details.

Father, thank You for the liberty I have in Christ. Help me indeed use that to serve You through serving those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Standards; June 6, 2022

Posted on June 11, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 10:12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

We see this sort of thing all the time. We human beings are very prone to form “in-groups,” setting criteria for membership and grading ourselves and each other on the basis of how well we fit those criteria. As Paul says here, there is no wisdom in that! Even on the biggest scale, there is only one race, the human race. If it were otherwise, interracial marriage would be sterile at best. However, right now we have people accusing each other of not being “black enough” or “white enough.” Genetic studies have been done of various groups, and the results have often been highly ironic, with such things as an adamant “white supremacist” discovering that their ancestry included some very “melanin rich” members, and some who identified as “black” having no ancestry from Africa at all. Things get even more complicated when we consider other groups that are organized on different sorts of criteria. What we forget is that the ultimate standard is God, and the ultimate example is Jesus Christ. How well do we measure up to Jesus? Of course, we have had heretical leaders who claimed Jesus made mistakes, like not having physical progeny, so they wouldn’t make those “mistakes,” but such nuts are definitely outliers. The thing is, every person’s job description is different in at least some ways, and usually in many ways. We have no valid basis for comparison among ourselves, because only God knows our hearts. We need to be focused on drawing near to God ourselves and calling others to join us, not because we have it down perfectly but because we know the direction to head. Often the people who proclaim their own wisdom are those who have the least of it!

I have certainly experienced this first-hand, from both sides. I have experienced the sting of perceived rejection from various groups, and in retaliation and self-defense I have established other groups, or even a “group of one,” telling myself I was superior to those who didn’t accept me. I have learned the hard way that all such groups are manufactured illusions, and the only standard is Christ. I hope that has increased my wisdom (which is very different from IQ) but even so, I realize that human wisdom is so insignificant as to be nonexistent when compared to that of God. I am personally accountable to God, and that awareness should keep me humble indeed! I am to seek God’s evaluation of how well I have followed His instructions, and not let any other opinion sway me, even my own. I recall one time when God blew me out of the water by telling me He was pleased with me, when I wasn’t particularly pleased with myself! I don’t see more than what is essentially on the surface, but God sees everything even to the core of our being, so I’m to leave the judging and evaluating up to Him.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace and mercy. Help me be an ever-better channel of that grace and mercy to all around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Living for Jesus; June 5, 2022

Posted on June 8, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

This whole passage is so rich, with verse after verse that have resonated through the ages. I had to pray for a while to ask the Lord which part of this treasure to focus on this morning! That said, He led me to settle on this verse. The hymn, Living for Jesus, has been around for quite a while now, and it is based theologically on this verse. It has been said, rightly I think, that you can tell a church’s theology by what they sing. Song lyrics are likely to stay in people’s hearts longer than words from sermons. The world today is vigorously insisting on the opposite of this verse, saying that we are to live for ourselves. However, as I tell people in almost every counseling session I give, being self-centered is never the way to genuine happiness. At best, such an attitude gives us fleeting pleasure. People live for others in various ways, with parents often living for their children or spouses living for each other. Some people live for their company, but all of these things, though better than being completely self-centered, have real limits. Such people are devastated when the one for whom they lived is taken from them, or in the case of a company, they are fired or even retire. However, when we live for Jesus we have no risk of that at all! As Paul famously wrote to the Romans, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) Christ is eternal, and is both the giver of eternal live and the true purpose of eternal life. Living for Him is the ultimate “trip,” the way to ultimate blessing and glory.

Of course this applies to me. Despite knowing better, I live entirely too much of my life for myself, instead of for Christ. My own motives are suspect. Do I desire the church to grow for my benefit, or so that God may be pleased by people being added to the Body of Christ? Do I desire that the Holy Spirit be poured out – particularly since this is Pentecost Sunday – for a great harvest in the Kingdom, or so that people will be “straightened out” and not be so much trouble to me? I am to renew my commitment daily, moment-by-moment if necessary, to Jesus Christ as my Lord, to live for Him before and above all else. I am to seek Him in and for everything, allowing Him to use me however He likes, since He has already given all of Himself for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your guidance and anointing as I was praying as I drove around to the different churches in town this morning. I do pray that this would be Pentecost indeed in every church, that the townspeople would be stirred up, wanting to know what happened and repenting and believing so that they too would acknowledge Jesus as Lord and live for Him, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Eternal Perspective; June 4, 2022

Posted on June 7, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 5:2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.

Paul was older when he wrote this, because he was definitely tired of his physical body. Verse eight makes that explicitly clear, particularly when coupled with this verse. As I commented recently, I wouldn’t want to live forever in this body! Since his martyrdom was by the relatively quick and easy method of beheading, I think Paul was actually somewhat relieved when the time came around! Paul had no doubts about the eternal life he had received, so temporal things, including his physical body, held much less importance for him. We could all benefit from that attitude. We get all caught up in things that certainly won’t last forever, and probably won’t last very long at all. Our value systems tend to be based on the physical world, since that is all we know, but when by faith we lift our eyes to the eternal, everything changes. Virtually every Christian, and even many non-Christians, “believe” they have eternal life, but their actions and attitudes make that “faith” doubtful. Faith is far more than glib words. That’s a major reason the Lord allows things in our lives that test our faith. An untested faith isn’t very deep!

At this point I am enjoying life, for the most part, but I am certainly looking forward to the next chapter, when all of the temporal considerations will be taken away. Meanwhile, I am to make full use of however much time I am given, as a good steward of my body and everything else, so that my Creator and Lord may be pleased with me. I well remember my response when each of my parents graduated from this life, and that gives me very little anxiety about my own graduation. I would prefer that it be more like my father than my mother, but that is of very little importance. My focus now is to be on my Lord, seeking what He has for me to do and doing it with all that He has provided. I see indications of things that He might be planning that give me anticipation, but that is His business. Meanwhile, I am to be His agent in relating to all the people around me, blessing them and drawing them to Him, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me never grow weary of doing good, (Galatians 6:9) but rather rejoice in the privilege of walking this world with You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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