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Listen while you read: "Lord Who At Cana's Wedding Feast"1 (Lyrics) |
2 Chronicles 14:2 – And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. (KJV)
2 Chronicles 16:12 – And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. (KJV)
At the London stadium in 2017, Usain Bolt, the renowned world athlete, also known as the fastest man on earth, ran his last race. Although he won the first race that day, the relay race was different. As Bolt was running with the baton firmly held in his hands, he fell before he could reach the finish line. At an interview later, he said that the way he ended his last race couldn't take away all his past achievements. That is true, but that only holds water for the earthly race.
Let me tell you about the heavenly race, which is the most important one in the life of every living individual. It begins at different points for different people, but the rewards for all who reach the end are the same. In this race, the ending is the most important.
If we look at the life of King Asa, the great-grandson of King Solomon, we can see that when he started, he was just like King David: he was humble and loved the Lord. He would seek God at his times of need. Then, something happened, and Asa went from a man who trusted God to a man who put his trust in man; his love for God had been lost. At the end of his life, he was stubborn and indignant towards God. This was his heavenly race. The beginning is not the most important, it's how we end it.
The apostle Paul, when he was formerly known as Saul, was a wicked man, a persecutor of Christians, but he died as a man who would give anything for the gospel of Christ.
Do you have a bad beginning like Paul? Maybe, you even believe that you are beyond saving. Maybe you have a great beginning like King Asa, and now you think that you have gone too far from the highway of holiness. God can save you no matter the category in which you find yourself. God loves you. Come to Him; run to Him. It's not too late. Even the thief on the cross beside Jesus went to be with Him that day in paradise. Pray with me:
Prayer: My Father and Lord, at the end of my heavenly race, I want to be at the place that matters: on Your side. Amen.
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This is a good one!
Thanks for the good reminder, John.
Thanks for an inspiring devotional today.
Great writing, John. Mostly a great message. Thanks for sharing.
My Good Friday card has three crosses and the words, God loves you. Amen.
I loved this, John. Yes, the way we finish our life’s race is the important thing.
Many thanks John for your important and encouraging words this morning. Blessings for your writings.
Being on God’s side at the end of the “race” is all that matters. Thank you for your writing today. Keep doing it.
Thank you, John!
I agree!
“The beginning is not the most important, it’s how we end it.”
John
Thank you for today’s devotion.
I have forwarded same to the church family.
Every blessing to you.
“Run to Him” what a wonderful idea! Thank you, John, for your sage advice!
Bless you for your faithfulness,
(BC Canada)
Your message today reminded me of a quote I came across some time ago.
“It’s one thing to acquire life insurance, quite another to acquire eternal life assurance.”
Many thanks for your message today which I have copied to share with a close friend.
Blessings to you and yours.
Greetings in Christ from Canada!
Your devotion today reminds me of the recent video released in the USA from Pastor Greg Laurie (his testimony is the underlying story of the movie “Jesus Revolution”, released earlier in 2023 marking 50 years since Time Magazine showed the ministry of Pastor Chuck Smith of California, where he interviews Rock and Roll musician “Alice Cooper”; raised in a Christian home with a lot of HOLY HERITAGE-preachers, evangelists, missionaries over a few generations, but he fronted a band that he eventually took the name of and was associated with “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll”.
As a new Christian in his heyday of the late 1970s-1980s, I took time to pray for him, sending as a “Potential Prodigal”, he wasn’t out of God’s Grace, and sure enough, he has encountered Jesus at an older age, and shares freely in this video-eventually, I trust this video, and even the “Jesus Revolution” movie gets your way, and you might understand how your devotional message had touched me in this way!
To God be the GLORY, and thanks for sharing this little gem from God’s Word!
Happy November!!
Thank you, John, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today.
Blessings.
Thank you, John, for this excellent devotional.