Dec 10

How will the world end? We do not know the exact specifics about this, but we do know from Scripture that it will end. This world is not our final destiny.

2 Peter 3:10 says that the world will end in fire. It will be burned up. We cannot stop this final destruction, but what we can do is prepare ourselves for it and that day. The very next verse shows the importance of concentrating on that which we can do. Verse 11 says that "since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming."

Far from dreading this coming, final day of fire and judgment from God, we should be anticipating it and preparing for it by living godly lives now, through the power and grace of the very One who is sending it.

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it" (Prov. 27:12).

There is only one way to prepare for the coming fire of God. That way is Jesus Christ. Only through being found in him will we escape the holy fire of God's judgment. He is our refuge from the coming firestorm.

Scripture for today: 2 Peter 3:10-13
Thought for today: Fear of the Lord brings us to Christ, who removes from us any fear of the coming judgment of God.
Prayer for today: Awesome and mighty God, who shall not fear you? for you are mighty indeed in your judgments. Thank you for providing the way for me to stand up in that judgment and to be declared innocent because of the blood of Jesus shed for me on the cross.

DEC 10

Dec 01

What do you need to be satisfied? The psalmist says in Psalm 17:14,15 that all he needs is to see God's likeness. Is that enough for you? If not, then you need to have your spirit awakened to see that God truly is all that is needed.

It does require an awakening to see what is important in life. No doubt that is one meaning of the words of verse 15, for it says there that the writer (David) will be satisfied when he awakes, that is, when he becomes aware of the supreme importance of existing for God, aware that God is the reason for his own existence.

Or it could mean that when David is raised from the dead, he will not seek any of the great pleasures of heaven as his reward, but that when he is awakened from the dead, he will be satisfied with seeing God alone. That is what another psalmist, Asaph, says in Psalm 73:25.

Or yet a third meaning can be found in the more ordinary and seemingly mundane meaning of simply rising up in the morning after a night's sleep.

Elsewhere in the Psalms, David speaks of thinking of God in the watches of the night (Psalm 63:6; 119:148). Perhaps this Psalm also arose out of such a night of meditating on God, for in verse three, he says that God probes his heart and examines him at night. David meditates on God and his greatness; God examines David to test the sincerity of his praise and meditation.

But David is not worried. He cries out to God that his prayer does not rise from deceitful lips (Psalm 17: 1).

May we all give such honest praise to God in the watches of our nights and in the hours of our day.

Scripture for today: Psalm 17
Thought for today: God is worthy to be the focus of my attention even in the hours of the night.
Prayer for today: Awaken my heart, Lord, to see your glory and praise you for it.

DEC 01