Scripture
Reading: Revelation 14:1-13
And
I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die
in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for
they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” (Rev.
14:13 NLT)
Emma was a saint in every sense of the word. I
remember seeing her at the age of 99 coming every Tuesday to Child Evangelism’s
Mailbox Club (now known as the Truth Chaser’s Club) and grading Bible correspondence
lessons for children. She always had a radiant smile, and if you were downcast,
discouraged, or feeling a little blue--talk to Emma. Her lively spirit would
make your frown disappear, and her humorous stories (at age ninety-nine she had
plenty) would keep you in stitches with laughter. Emma’s presence brought a
much needed joy into our world of sadness and gloom. Emma is with her Lord now,
but her legacy lives on in the memories of countless volunteers.
There are
other great saints whose testimony and ministry during their time on earth
lives on even though they are presently with the Lord. I think of great
preachers such as Charles Wesley, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Dwight L.
Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Harry A. Ironsides, James, D. Kennedy, and Adrian
Rogers just to name a few who brought millions to the foot of the cross. They
are no longer with us, but their legacy lives on. Then I think of personal
friends like Rod and Wanda Gossett, Lloyd and Blanche Prichard, and Lorraine
Bachelor whose earthly testimonies for Christ left an impact on my life and
helped to shape my service for the Lord.
Old
Testament saints like Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Elijah, and Daniel left us
legacies of faith and obedience. Their labors for the LORD still inspire people
today to give their lives to serve the King. What can we say of the labors of
Jesus’ disciples? Peter, James, John,
and Paul all wrote letters of inspiration and courage. They suffered many
hardships, but none of them considered their service to be laborious. The
Apostle John was in his nineties when he penned the words of the Book of
Revelation.
The
testimony that you are living today will follow you even after you leave this
earthly life. Will it inspire others, or will it cause those who hear it to
turn away from following the Savior? We have only one life to live—live it in
obedience to the Lord and “your good deeds will follow you after death” (Rev.
14:13).
I
challenge you to live your life in total commitment to the Lord so that those
who come after you will want to follow your example.
Prayer: Dear Lord, may my labors for the Lord be
done in the spirit of love and kindness.
No comments:
Post a Comment