We love stories. Good stories, happy endings. As a child I grew up hearing the fairy tales....princes and princesses, good verses evil....of course good always wins! Some of the stories had a darkness about them, like Hansel and Gretel. I read stories about girls and their horses, always filled with struggles and ultimately triumphs. We have so many books, so many movies all telling stories. And I was thinking about how in many cultures their stories are told orally, passed down from generation to generation. Tales and histories....battles sagas, love stories, parables (Jesus liked these!)....The Bible itself tells story after story... the entire Book woven together with God's love and wisdom to show His beautiful plan for humanity and His desire to bring us back to Himself.
So how did I get to thinking about all this? I can't say I really know...but this picture has been in my heart for a week now. I keep seeing the peoples of old. Young children gathered around their parents, or grandparents, listening to the legends of how their people came to be, came to live as they lived and it brings to mind Heaven. Of course, I'm sure you can see how it would do that, I mean, it's such a logical leap between those two scenarios and places, right? LOL
The image in my heart is this: We are all in Heaven with our Lord. And I can just see us, as little children sitting around the feet of Jesus. And just like children, we excitedly ask Him, "Tell us again how you saved us! Tell us again how You came to get us when we were lost!" And our loving Savior will once again, with joy in His eyes, tell us of the time He left the beauty, holiness and glory of Heaven to come to our dusty, sin-filled, dark home on earth. He'll tell how He met with us, walked with us, helped us and taught us. We will hear of the temptations He faced from our archenemy, Satan. How this evil prince tried to stop His mission to redeem us. And Jesus will tell us how He walked the lonely, dirt road to the final battle. Bloodied and beaten by the forces of darkness, His love for us kept Him going forward to the place of His death, the Cross.
But that was not to be the end of this story. We all look for the part where the hero comes back and saves the day. So there we sit at, the feet of our Savior in Heaven clamoring for the happy ending when our mighty hero returns We've heard it a thousand times, but we never tire of hearing His story, our story, He continues. Jesus tells how the earth was bereft of His light for three days. He tells how His followers were frightened, saddened, and in hiding. They thought all was lost! But then the third day dawned! He arose! Our mighty Savior arose! He had beaten death, beaten darkness and the evil forces who wanted to separate us from our loving Father forever. Our hero has saved the day, saved eternity!
And that's not the end of this story either! After our hero rose from the dead, He went back to His home in heaven to ready a place for us. And as He is working, the world continues much like it was the first time He came, struggles and triumphs, life, death, love, hate....all the normal human existence toiling onward to the next part of the drama. Our Savior, our King is destined to return for us. He came once to save us, He will come again to return us to Himself. Once again there will be a final battle....this time massive forces will gather together. There will be many days of hardship and suffering leading up to this final battle. But the end is already decided. The victory is set. Our King Jesus, who conquered death will once and for all conquer the forces of evil in this world. He will make this earth anew... a place of perfection, beauty, peace and joy. And all who are His will be with Him forever, seated at His feet in worship, basking in His love for us. I can't imagine how wonderful this will be....my mind doesn't go that far. It is beyond our dim imaginations to completely fathom and picture our heavenly home.
Are you ready? Each day thousands die without knowing this story. Ignoring the one who came to save them. And it's such a simple act of faith to reach out to Jesus. Ask Him to be your Savior. Today is the day of salvation. Tell the Lord you need Him. We are all sinners. No one is perfect. But He died that we may be forgiven. He rose that we may live with Him for eternity. Life here on earth will never be easy, but there is another place after this....actually there are two. One for those with Jesus---Heaven, a place of peace, joy, wholeness and eternal beauty and rejoicing. And the other is a place of darkness, sadness, and emptiness. A place bereft of God's love and tender care...this place exists and it is real and will be filled with Satan and his cohorts, and those who reject God. It is my prayer that all who read this, all who hear of God here,or anywhere else will accept His salvation, and will ask Jesus to save them, to be their Lord, their King. In surrendering to Him there is great freedom. Freedom from sin, from hell and ironically freedom to be ourselves, our truest selves, accepted, loved and cherished without fear of rejection. Enter into this beautiful relationship with the one who created you! You will never regret it!
Lord, I pray for those who read this today. I pray there will come to You with open hearts and minds. Lord reach them. Soften hearts to accept Your love. Save them Lord. Thank You.
Ask Jesus to be your Savior today. Speak from your heart, He will lead you.
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