Saturday 11 May 2013

Saturday Reading: Luke 20:34-38

Key Verse: Luke 20:35
35  But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Devotion:
Our view of this world and God’s view are probably very, very different. Our view of heaven and what it is actually like are probably just as different again! So when Jesus began to explain a few truths to the Scribes and Pharisees it probably came as a bit of a shock to them because they had built up their own ideas of what the afterlife would be like; just as we do.

We get caught up in the ways of the world and we start to apply those ways into everything we think about because we don’t know anything better. What truly awaits us after earthly death is something that we are going to have to find out after we leave this place! But God has given us plenty to think about and plenty of descriptive passages to allow us to know that it is far better than anything we could imagine.

We get caught up in relationships, wanting them, not wanting them, having them, losing them, breaking them, repairing them and we do it all the time. Those relationships can become the centre of our worlds as we live with them or without them. We look to relationships for comfort and for strength. We come to depend on them. But in every relationship we always think of the earthly side of it and not just the spiritual side of it; we think of holding our partners and being with them, enjoying constant contact and company.

But a relationship should be so much more than just the physical and emotional sides of it. A relationship needs to be a life-long commitment to each other, one that will not be broken down by anything that happens around us or to us. A relationship needs to last far beyond our earthly limits. Often I will stop and think about people from my past and wonder why I have lost track of them, lost contact and moved on. Then I remember that I have lived an earthly life and discarded so much of the spiritual warmth that I built up as a young child. God has started a relationship with us that is not going to stop when this earth disappears or when we trip and fall. This relationship with God is eternal and does not require a marriage certificate or any other legal document. This relationship is built on everlasting hope and truth; that is how we should look at all of our present and future relationships – anything else is falling short of the mark!

Points to Ponder:
What do you require from your partner?

How much has God given you freely?