May 09, 2010

The Lord Is There

Ezekiel 48:30-35

“The name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
Ezekiel 48:35

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It is Sunday again. For centuries some Christians have called it “Day of all the week the best.” I hope you find Sunday the best day of your week.

Let’s use our time this Sunday to reflect on the way God’s grace turns history upside-down, and to merge our minds with the Lord’s. Let’s savor this day as a refreshment stop on the way to the heavenly city where we will spend eternity with God.

Our spiritual ancestors asked a key question: “What is the most important thing in life?” They wanted all people to identify their ultimate goal for living. So in wisdom, they provided a simple but profound answer: “To glorify God, and to enjoy him forever” (from the Westminster Shorter Catechism). Glorifying God means showing honor to God above all other things in our lives. It means putting God first, loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Mark 12:30), “because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). “Forever time” with God can begin right now as we cultivate and enrich our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many verses in God’s Word help us focus more closely on God. Today’s verse is one of them. We all want to be citizens of our eternal home called “THE LORD IS THERE.” We want our lives to be lived now and forever with God.

Our Father in heaven, our minds are so caught up with this world. Our lives are so “here and now.” Help us to focus on honoring you in everything we do this week. Amen.

About the author — Jack Gray

Jack Gray recently retired after forty years as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. During that time he served seven churches from coast to coast in the United States. He and his wife, Wanda, have four sons and three grandchildren. They also have ministered to 44 foster children. This month’s devotions are inspired by his reflections on time at this transition in his life.

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