The God who cannot lie says to humanity, “You will seek me, and you will find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” (See Jeremiah 29:13). Many of those who call themselves a “New Testament church” rarely look into the many profound statements of eternal truth found in the prophets or what is commonly called the “Old” Testament. Hence, many pastors of such congregations never explain to their followers that contact and a relationship with the Creator demands whole-hearted commitment. “Only believe” they are told. Presto-chango, they have now made firm contact with the Lord. Live your life as you please. All is well with your soul. Remember, you believed!
The days of our earthly pilgrimage are numbered, folks. And those days grow fewer with each setting sun. How many remain? Ten thousand? A thousand? A hundred? Even less?????
“Come now, and let us reason together,” is the invitation of scripture. Our Creator is a reasonable, super-intelligent Being. “Come to ME, all you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will give you rest.” Are you burdened with a “not knowing” heart? Do you wish you had more satisfying answers to the larger questions of life? I recall a poster I saw on the bedroom wall of a young man that said, “I want to believe!” To such a heart, God says, “You will seek me, and you will find me, when you search for me with all your heart!” I am a believer because I made such a committed search – and I found my Creator and learned that He was there all the time.
“O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” It is appointed unto us all that we must die. Our fleshly pilgrimage must have an end. This is all well and good and as it should be. Our earthly existence is but Phase One of a two phased existence. Phase Two is the eternal phase inaugurated by our resurrection and change from physical to spirit life – a life that has no end, no more pain, nor crying, nor tears, life that is truly life. The sting of death is removed and the grave no longer victorious.
Christ’s Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley