While serving Jesus offers us the chance to experience great peace and joy it does not promise us a life that is free of pain and suffering. In fact, for over 100,000 Christians a year worldwide, serving Jesus leads to a shortened life via martyrdom. Other Christians while doing the Lord’s will die by accidents. And other succumb to an early death from disease. The one certain thing I can say about life is that it is uncertain.
In the book of Hebrews we read this fascinating portion of Scripture that shows us that no matter how faithful we are in serving the Lord life can be so uncertain. Let’s look at (Hebrews 11:32-38) below to show you what I mean:
“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.”
The thing that struck me most about this portion of Scripture, which talks about great men and women of faith, is that we see that some “escaped the edge of the sword,” while others “were killed by the sword.” All were great men and women of faith, yet their outcomes in this life were quite different. While faith in Jesus guarantees us eternal life it doesn’t guarantee us a pain-free life here on earth nor even a long life. Many a Christian, down through the centuries, have had their lives cut short for preaching the gospel.
My friends when you sign up to serve Jesus know with certainty that eternal life is promised to all believers. However, how soon we will be allowed to live before we meet our Lord in heaven is determined by God. So, let’s live our lives for Jesus with peace, joy, and the excitement of knowing that no matter how long or short our time here on earth is, we will all spend eternity with Him!
Amen!!! Knowing that this world is not our home gives us that eternal perspective.