BEM RURAL

CITIZEN AND PILGRIM

'God...has prepared a city for them.' Hebrews 11:16 NIV

There's a story of a tourist's visit to the home of a nineteenth-century Polish rabbi. The tourist was surprised to find it so sparsely and inexpensively furnished. When the tourist asked the rabbi, 'Where's all your furniture?' he replied, 'Where's yours?' The man asked, 'What do you mean? I'm a visitor. I'm just passing through.' 'Me too!' replied the rabbi.

Passing through aptly applies to each of us; we're creatures of time and children of eternity. In reality, Christians are citizens of Heaven heading home via earth. 'Our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ' (Philippians 3:20 NIV). Heaven is more than a destination or a doctrine. For the redeemed child of God, it should be a mindset; a way of thinking and living. Paul writes: 'Since...you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For...your life is now hidden with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:1-3 NIV).

Heaven is your North Star. Let its beauty capture your imagination, its values determine your behaviour, its endlessness redeem your brief life span, its joys alleviate your sorrows and its almighty King own your lifelong worship! To you living briefly on earth, Heaven should be a life-transforming truth. You're not here to stay. You're a pilgrim on a journey, with a glorious destiny to spend eternity in your Father's house (see John 14:2). You're heading to your forever home!

Have a Blissful Week.

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SECRET TO LASTING HAPPINESS

'Happy is the man who delights in doing his commands.' Psalm 112:1 TLB

Lasting happiness isn't found in money or career success. Does that mean these things are wrong? No. When you put God first, he will actually give you these things (see Matthew 6:33)! But you must never let anything God gives you rob him of first place in your life.

The psalmist said: 'Happy is the man who delights in doing [God's] commands. His children shall be honoured everywhere, for good men's sons have a special heritage. He himself shall be wealthy, and his good deeds will never be forgotten. When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in. He is kind and merciful - and all goes well for the generous man who conducts his business fairly. Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes. He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will never be forgotten. He shall have influence and honour' (Psalm 112:1-9 TLB).

Somebody said that the best things in life aren't things. Happiness isn't determined by what you own; it lies in relationships, and the first relationship you need is with God because every blessing in life flows from him. In a world of urgency and confusion, God will give you values and priorities to live by. 'Happy is the man who delights in doing his commands' (Psalm 112:1 TLB).

Have a Blessed and Fruitful Week.

BEWARE OF SELF-PITY

'No one should seek their good, but the good of others.' 1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV

Self-pity can be deadly. It tells the wife and mother who works hard, 'You're not appreciated.' It says to the office worker, 'Look how valuable you are, yet you're never recognized or rewarded.' It says to the unemployed, 'No chance!' To the divorced, 'No place!' To the bereaved, 'No hope!' And to the struggling, 'No way!' Look at the prophet Elijah. Twenty-four hours after his greatest victory, he is wallowing in self-pity. 'I have had enough...Take my life...I have zealously served...But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed...your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too (1 Kings 19:4, 10 NLT). There it is - self-pity in the raw!

There are generally two reasons behind self-pity. The first is emotional manipulation. We use self-pity as a weapon to guilt-trip others and get our way. That's immaturity and you have to deal with it, whether it's in yourself or somebody else. On the other hand, self-pity can also stem from sheer exhaustion.

Recorded in the Old Testament, God showed Elijah four things needed to get himself back on track: (1) More rest. (2) To eat properly. (3) To put his eyes back on God and stop trying to do everything in his strength. (4) To remedy isolation with a friend; so, God gave him Elisha. The next time we see Elijah, he is back on top. Today, think about how these four truths apply to your life.

Have a Blessed and Fruitful Week.