The Light of Life Daily Devotional

SATURDAY, 21st May 2022 

TOPIC: LIFE'S ESSENCE

FOR READING & MEDITATION:  I Corinthians 15:19.

19. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

MEDITATE 

Christianity is more than the benefits of eating and drinking, more than just getting a house to live in and a car to drive. Yes, much deeper than all of these and even more. Material benefits are not bad but are only additions that follow after we have received the real thing. Therefore, it is foolish to leave the substance and settle for the side attractions. If you read further down our text for today meditation, Apostle Paul asks; “why is it that as Christians we are thrown into one jail after another, beaten almost to death but we keep going on? Is it just for what we will eat and drink”? No. There is more to Christianity than that. 

In fact some of the Corinthians brethren had this wrong belief that the time of the resurrection of the saints has passed. You know that when people begin to believe things like this, many times it is because they have become cold in their love for God. As a result they begin to manufacture all kinds of funny and foolish doctrines that will make them feel comfortable in their worldliness and carnality. I am afraid to say, this is the same situation with many Christians in our nation today. This group of believers have made this world their home because they have lost sight of heaven. However, the Bible says the foundation of the Lord stands sure and the Lord knows those who are His. 

Paul's response seems strange but very important to note. He says in effect that if we are serving God just only for what we will get out of it in this life, then it is not worth it. He did not mean that it is wrong to be blessed in this world but that it should not be the reason why we serve God. If you read through the New Testament with an open mind, you will see that one of the most important doctrines it emphasizes is eternity. This issue features so prominently that Christians of that time became so heavenly minded that they almost became earthly useless. That was, I should agree, to the extreme though. But then the emphasis placed in those days on the need to live with eternity in view, was such that Christians made sacrifices that helped in advancing the kingdom of God.

VERSE OF THE DAY: "And if being a Christian is of value to us only now in this life, we are the most miserable of creatures" (I Corinthians 15:19 TLB).

QUOTE: “… it is foolish to leave the substance and settle for the side attractions”.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for making me to know that whatever my labours, I have a reward after this life. So help me to keep focus on this eternal truth just as Paul did, Amen.