Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “We have a priceless inheritance – an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “As a child of God you own something that does not change and will not decay.”
On her nightstand my wife has a three-part picture frame with pictures of me as a six month old baby on the left, as a eight year old boy in the middle, and as a thirty year old Navy Officer on the right. She says I was a cute baby, a good looking freckle-faced boy, and a handsome young officer. I’ve chosen to defer to her judgment on the issue.
But then I look in the mirror. At fifty-nine the picture isn’t so pretty. I’m mostly bald, have more hair in my nose and ears than on my head, there are wrinkles, my hair is turning gray, and there’s a good bit of sagging going on too. The years have taken their toll.
My house is suffering from the passage of time too. It is twenty-five now and things are starting to go. We’re in the process of replacing the ac/heating unit (again); recently we had an old pipe burst and the carpets had to come out; and eventually the roof will have to be replaced. And let’s not talk about my 1998 Ford F150 pick-up truck with over 210,000 miles on it. The old beast is still running, but the a/c is out and the odometer hasn’t worked in five years.
The point is that with the passage of time things change – and not always for the good. Physical things, whether they are bodies, houses, or trucks, decay and deteriorate with age. Also, jobs are lost, careers end, friends and loved ones die, technology changes and therefore devices must be replaced, and on it goes.
The lesson in all this? Just that the things of this world are temporary; they are in the process of decaying and passing away and they will soon be gone. So if we’re relying on them for our security or happiness, it’s just a matter of time before we will be mourning their loss.
But in 1 Peter 1:4 the Apostle tells us of an eternal inheritance, kept for us in heaven, that is pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. It is our heavenly home and our heavenly inheritance. It’s what Jesus was talking about in John 14:1-3 when He spoke about that special place He is preparing for those who belong to Him and it’s why, in Matthew 6:19-21, in the middle of His “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus said:
“Don’t collect for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” (HCSB)
What things in life do you value the most? What are you relying on? Where is your treasure and your heart? There is an inheritance for you that is eternal and that is untouched by change and decay. I encourage you to put your faith in your eternal inheritance.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 