BOGOs AND TWO-FERs !!

I’m prone to tuning out t.v. commercials, as I do most programming.  And I’m also prone to involuntary whiplashing when I hear an overly-exuberant advertiser scream, “But WAIT! If you order right NOW, you get one [whutever] FREE!  All you have to do is pay for shipping costs!”

My initial reaction is, if you gotta pay for shipping, it ain’t free. Second, unless I believe my special friend/relative would genuinely want one, whatfer do I need two of this gizmo?

It’s everywhere, like bug infestations – “buy one, get one free!”  “Two for the price of one!”

Well, I guess my cantankerousness is showing. I get a wee bit annoyed when I’m being told that I’m getting a stupendous deal, when instead, they’re not-so-subtly trying to abscond with my moulah.  That’s the real BOGO … play mind games with me AND steal me blind!  Wheee!

Okay, rant over.  But since I still feel like ranting, let’s do it in a more uplifting manner.  Psalm 119:18, 37 gives me the excellent advice of opening my eyes TO worthy things, and keeping my eyes OFF worthless things.  Isn’t this fun?  Two rants for the price of one!

So, what worth-ful thing, or Person, CAN I set my eyes on?  In today’s lingo, The Lord Jesus is indeed my Savior (Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4), BUT WAIT!!   He’s more!  He’s also my Advocate (1 John 2:1), my Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4), my Redeemer (Romans 3:24), and so much more.  And furthermore, He’s “free.”  There is no fee, there is nothing extra to pay, EVER!

So, what do I get out of this?  I get … to be God’s permanently adopted child (John 1:12; Galatians 4:5-6).  BUT WAIT, there’s more!  If I’m saved today, I also get … to be declared justified, and glorified (Romans 8:38), and sanctified (1 John 3:14). Hey, my name is recorded in heaven (Luke 10:20), all for no extra charge!  My bill has been paid, permanently.  There is no small print, no sneak fees.  It’s done.  Finished (John 19:30).

My Lord and my God, in this holiday season of expressing thankfulness, and of buying and giving and receiving, always looking for the best deals, the free deals, let me never forget the only “deal” that has ever mattered ... that you have reconciled me to Yourself (Colossians 1:20) through my Jesus. You’ve made it clear that I am permanently and endlessly loved (John 10:29) by You.  My Jesus, You are my permanent treasure in heaven, and all other earthly treasures are very temporary. Thank You for insisting that I keep my eyes away from worthless things, and instead, fixing my secure and confident hope upon You, my Rock and my Savior, the hope laid up for me in heaven (Colossians 1:5).  I am indeed eternally thankful for You.

WHO CAN KNOW?

 

If there’s one thing that I definitely know about life, it’s that there are many things I don’t know, such as, where I put my glasses or cellphone that I just had a minute ago. I don’t know how to do taxes. I don’t know why my computer freaks out. I don’t know why cats are sometimes insane. And I’ll never know why my husband thinks that bacon-wrapped brussel sprouts are tasty, when everybody knows that chocolate-wrapped fruit is heaven sent.

And speaking of heaven ... because my earthly life is stuffed to the brim with mostly mundane daily trivia, and occasional life-altering surprises, the older I get, the more I’m inclined to be eagerly looking up. And at the same time, I feel very sad that hoards of people don’t know, don’t want to believe, what happens after they die. Simply put, they don’t want to know or believe God, who He is, and His promises (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

I myself used to have a shaky belief in a generic “god” out there, but he (or she or it) must certainly be apathetic about earthlings. I sorta knew that Jesus existed, that He was a good guy. But I didn’t spend any time in the Bible, because I preferred to read anything other than Scripture. Mostly, I believed in reincarnation, that I alone decided the course of my own life (and future lives). And I was pretty sure that everything somehow all worked out in the end and every single person would live in a paradise of his/her own making. I knew the Bible said that Jesus had resurrected, but somehow it was easier to believe in self-reincarnation than God-ordained resurrection. I sneered much.

Then one day, in His perfect timing, my God saved me. And I know why. Because He loved me first (1 John 4:19). He turned my twisted self-oriented thinking into straightforward faith in Him. He humbled me and caused me to see my sinful nature that rebelled against His perfect holiness, caused me to confess and repent of sin, caused me to crave His Word alone, and caused me to know Who His Son really is. He gave me an anchor-solid understanding that Jesus wasn’t just a nice fella who was born, did nice things, died an un-nice death, and maybe resurrected.

I also began to see myself in Scripture, that I had been like the “religious” people who “sneered” when hearing of the resurrection (Acts 17:22, 32). I had been like the disciple Thomas who refused to believe what he hadn’t yet seen (John 20:27-30).

In my suddenly pervasive reading of Scripture, it became clear that the Lord Jesus spoke of resurrection often. And not just His own resurrection, but His promise to raise up every believer (John 5:28-9). He wanted me to know, without any doubt, that I could trust His promises because I could trust Him. My soul soared to read His words, “I go to prepare a place for you, ... I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). He has promised that I will be caught up together with other believers in the clouds to meet Him in the air, “and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). What comforting words!

Knowing a few facts about Jesus in my head just wasn’t enough. I had to believe, to know in my heart that He is the only Way to heaven, He is the only truth, and He is the eternal Life (John 14:6). I will be resurrected, in God’s perfect time (John 6:40, 47; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 44, 49), to live with Him eternally.

I’m not to trust or believe in my own allegedly wise eyes, “but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). Jesus said, “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

My God, I know that You keep Your promises and You do not lie. My Jesus, You and the Father are one. I can, and I do, believe Your promises to me. This Easter, I fall on my knees and thank You, that You died on my behalf to reconcile me to my God. And I celebrate Your resurrection, oh-so eagerly looking forward to The Day when all in Your church will be with You eternally, to the glory of God.

I believe all of this, and I know there is no ? to eternity. 

MOVING DAY

A few years ago, my hubs and I pondered about moving from our home of almost 30 years.  We were motivated by a desire not to drive 30 minutes to various locations, when we could instead drive for 5 or 10 minutes, or even walk.

We viewed semi-glorious semi-affordable homes on realty websites and imagined our lives for the better.  Then, after being whipped into insanity by our imaginations, we'd plummet back to earth when we found out the property should be condemned, due to cracked foundations or imploding roofs.  We also considered the actual physical work necessary for moving out of our home, i.e., massive junk-tossing, cleaning, repairing, and probable torching of basement varmints.  And we could possibly rupture one of our elderly vital organs in the process.  Not to mention, there's the glee of changing addresses with the post office, changing phone numbers, and changing driver's licenses.  So now, we're thinking, mayyyybeee we'll just stay here for awhile longer.  I need a nap now.

Yeah, staying put means being comfortable with the familiar and indulging in the "unlabor" perks of our retirement.  Okay, we're lazy.

And as usual, the Lord put a twist on my circumstances.  When I consider the final and permanent "moving day" -- the day I die -- does that prospect give me great joy?  Or does it cause me to think, "it's too much work to get ready.  I'd rather just stay here."

Before my salvation, I definitely wanted to stay here.  I didn't want to change my address from earth to whatever-I-thought-heaven-was (dull).  I didn't want to change anything about me, a/k/a sin behavior.  I didn't want to leave behind all my nifty stuff that I'd worked so hard to accumulate.

"But God" ... my favorite phrase ... He saved me, and now, I'm oh-so-ready to move, to live with Him.  There's no angst involved, because I don't really have to DO anything to prepare for this move ... other than confess daily sin, which He faithfully forgives (1 John 1:9).  And every day, I find myself loosening my tight hold on all my earthly stuff, because I can't take it with me (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15).  I don't even want to, because what He has waiting for me will make everything here look like wormy-dirt in comparison.

Thank You, my Jesus, that You have already cleaned up, dejunked, and uncondemned me.  You have already prepared a place for me (John 14:3).  This move will be instantaneous, with no effort on my part, because You are my professional "mover" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).  Even though I'm still physically here, You tell me that I've already been permanently transferred to Your kingdom (Colossians 1:13).  Anytime I allow myself to get antsy about the daily crud of life, please grab me with Your eternal perspective and make me remember that because You love me, you are taking permanent eternal care of me.