We Have Peace With Him

We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have received God's grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God's glory.

And that's not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. And hope will never let us down. God has poured his love into our hearts. He did it through the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

Have you ever served your country or worked for one place for a long time? If you have, you know what a short-timers attitude is all about. You spend your last month or so giving back stuff, taking things off your walls, cleaning out your desk, making sure your files are up to date, and making sure you get your pay and vacation time. It is a relief from pressure.

Near the end of our lives we should feel the same way. Hope, in the biblical sense, means certainty and assurance. It is the firm, unshakable, indomitable belief that we will be raised from the dead (as Jesus was) and will be welcomed into our eternal home. That is enough to put joy in our hearts and a spring in our step this very day.

The risen Christ will come from heaven to take His own to heaven.

Our Daily Bread – February 22, 2010