Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1:3-4
Heaven Doesn’t Spoil
Daily Devotion – April 13, 2018
Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:3-4
See series: Devotions
I have a mini fridge in my office at work. I put my lunch in it when I arrive in the morning and keep a good supply of water bottles inside. This particular mini fridge, like many I’ve seen, has a very small freezer in it. I don’t open the freezer all that often. In fact, I recently discovered that I don’t open it often enough. It had been a while since I had cleaned out the fridge, so I decided to do that recently. When I opened the freezer, I discovered a box of uneaten, unopened Hot Pockets. The box was covered in ice, and when I opened the box to look at what was inside, I quickly threw it away. The food was spoiled. It was an orange-green color that could have made a person sick just by looking at it.
I don’t remember when I placed those Hot Pockets in that freezer. It was obviously a long time ago. When I re-discovered them, it was long past the expiration date on the package. When I purchased them and put them in the freezer, I’m sure I was looking forward to eating them. But now they are spoiled, and they will not be enjoyed by anyone.
Hot Pockets aren’t the only things on earth that have an expiration date. We lose our ability to enjoy good things all the time. Our bodies get older and weaker. Jobs are lost. Friends and family move away. And every funeral we attend is another reminder that, one day, we will expire too. One day, everything we did in our lives will only exist in someone’s memory, which also fades away over time. There is nothing on earth that we will enjoy forever, which is why the promise of heaven is such a precious gift.
In heaven, we are promised “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade;” an inheritance won for us when Jesus came out of his grave. Easter morning was proof not only of God’s ability to create and sustain life in places where previously only death was seen, but also proof that our sin—the true cause of our destruction—had been overcome with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
And best of all, we are reminded that this inheritance is “for you.” As you walk through life and see everything that will eventually perish, spoil, and fade, God has given you the right to anticipate a future in heaven when every good thing you hold will never be lost ever again.
Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for the inheritance won for us by Jesus. Whenever our hearts are heavy with loss, help us to look to your Word and see again the perfection that is waiting for us in heaven. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Print FriendlyPowered by WPeMatico