Back in September 2020 I posted this devotion. With our world in chaos thanks to the COVID pandemic I thought it would be a good time to remind all of us that despite the uncertainty of life we can still find comfort in our Savior and Lord – Jesus Christ!
Most people when asked what they want out of life, I believe, would reply they want to live a comfortable life. They probably would also include owning a nice home, marrying a wonderful spouse, being healthy, and having money in the bank. While we are all wired to want to be comfortable, we are also wired to live a life of purpose and meaning. Sadly, most of us struggle to find comfort and struggle even more to find real purpose in life. The reason is that we are also wired to have a vibrant relationship with God and this can only happen when Jesus is the center of our lives.
The great French scientist, mathematician, and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, once said that every man is born with a spiritual vacuum that only Jesus Christ can fill. Man has down through the centuries tried everything from fame and power to women and wine to fill a void that can only be filled through a personal relationship with Jesus. Our world today is full of false philosophies on what will bring us comfort and meaning and most rarely turn to the only one that can truly bring us both – Jesus Christ.
But why Jesus and only Jesus. Well Jesus is the only one that can check all the boxes in life that we really are striving to obtain. For one, the book that is all about Him, the Bible, answers our most important questions in life – where did I come from, what is my ultimate purpose in life, and where do I go when I die. The Bible tells us we are created by God, in His image, we are here to serve Jesus and give Him glory, and we go to be with Jesus in heaven when we die if He is our Lord and Savior. Two, only Jesus can forgive us of our sins, which is the only way back into a relationship with God. And, three, only the Bible, can provide us with all the answers we need to make sense of a world that is in chaos and full of problems.
As a Christian I don’t always find a comfortable lifestyle replacing the chaos of our world, but I do find comfort in my heart and soul as a by-product of letting Jesus run my life. And the true reality is what good is living in great comfort now if our eternal future is not secure through knowing Jesus. For we read in (Mark 8:36): “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Without knowing Jesus, you may find comfort in material things, but you will never find true meaning in life. And without knowing Jesus you will never be reconciled to God and make it to heaven.
Many people in our world miss out on a magnificent life now because they forget to live by the good Book. Somehow, they know that there is something special about the Bible but that old phrase, this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book, continues to nag at their heart. I pray that we take the advice of 19th century clergyman, Joseph Cook, who once said when referring to the Bible: “Do you know a book that you are willing to put under your head for a pillow when you are dying? Very well, that is the Book you want to study when you are living. There is only one such Book in the world.”1 Don’t wait until it is too late – read, study, and meditate on the Bible, and its author, Jesus Christ – you won’t be disappointed!
1 This Day’s Thought-Tuesday – This Day’s Thought (thisdaysthought.org)