"Well Done Good and Faithful Child" 💖🔥🕊️
Earlier this morning I was thinking about "Graduation Day." And how this is the time of the year when many graduations take place, from schools and universities all over the world. It is a time to celebrate achievements, kind of like a rite of passage from one stage of life into the next.
Many years ago I was led to read a book written by Billy Graham titled, "Hope for the Troubled Heart." The only thing I remember from that book is how he described this Earth as the schoolroom for Heaven. 🌎 It is a place of learning, growing, and development. And it is also a place where we have to go through so many tests in life. Some tests are more difficult to pass than others. Especially as we continue to move up towards the higher levels of learning.
Kind of like what happens to a child. They begin with kindergarten, learning basic ABC's and 123's. Developing social skills, and learning how to interact with other children. Then things get even more complex, as they progress to elementary school, middle school, and then high school. The problems get more challenging and difficult once they become adults. Going to college or university. And just trying to survive and thrive in a world that can be very demanding, cruel, and hostile at times. There are more responsibilities and earthly concerns that tend to weigh us down. And the enemy often uses these concerns to try to distract us. He tries to take our focus off of what is really important. Spending time with Jesus, and having a personal relationship with Him. And trusting that God will supply all of our needs.
Today I was thinking about how we are getting ready to graduate from the schoolroom of this world. And we will be entering into the university of "Higher learning" in God's Kingdom.
I believe there will also be a library there, with books containing our faith stories and testimonies. 📚💕 Just like how the names of the apostles, prophets, and heroic men and women of faith in the past were also recognized in the pages of the Bible.
For instance, remember how Abraham was acknowledged for his faith. Cornelius was acknowledged for his generosity. And Dorcas was acknowledged for her compassion towards widows and orphans.
We all have a Kingdom legacy. And I think we will also be acknowledged by God for our faithful service to Him.
Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Not Everyone will Accept You:
Sometimes the people in our lives and families might not appreciate the little things that we do to help them out. They either ignore us and give us the silent treatment. Or they might criticize, belittle, and mock us. Even when we do kind things to help them out.
I experience this a lot in my family. And I have to keep on reminding myself that it is the enemy operating through these people, and that I shouldn't take what they say personally. But it really does hurt, when your own family rejects you, even when you're kind and courteous towards them.
I had an incident that actually happened this morning with my parents. The top level of the refrigerator shelf came down, and my dad was having some trouble putting it back up. My mom was in the way, and didn't even want me to try to help my dad out. But I took the glass shelf, and then managed to fix it for my dad. He then make some sarcastic remarks and mocked me by saying, "What do you want us to do, put you on a podium and recognize your achievements." I instantly knew that it was just another attack from the enemy. Ironically also related to things that I had already been thinking about. So I rebuked him and said something like, "In the eyes of this world I might be viewed as an insignificant nobody. But I know that God loves me and sees what I'm doing for the Kingdom, and that my work will be rewarded." He then said something like, "And how do you know for sure that He will reward you?" And I said, "God knows my heart, and He knows that I am a faithful child. And He recognizes me for who I am, unlike my own biological parents." Then that silenced him. And I left the room, giving him a chance to reflect on the words that God gave me to speak to him with great authority.
Hymn Lyrics: "Be Not Afraid" 🎶🔥🕊️💖
Lyrics: "Jesus All For Jesus," by Robin Mark 🎶🔥🕊️💖
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