Devotional Passage: 1 John 2:15-17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever. 1 John 2:17
Our Bible Study class enjoys an annual “white elephant” Christmas party. We all bring something we no longer (or never did) like, need, use, or want. Sometimes these useless or tacky gifts reappear year after year, disguised in new and elegant paper.
Our human tendency leads us to choose what looks good or easy rather than what will last. We often choose the world’s sparkling and “quick-fix” gifts only to find them filled with the fluff of short-lived pleasure and harmful side effects.
On the other hand we openly resist the trials, tests, and discipline in which God wraps His richest blessings. Ironically we pull to us the world and every-thing in it that is temporary while pushing away God’s good gifts that last forever.
Unlike the temporal, the eternal abides forever. For those who do His will, an eternity awaits. Do you look forward to an eternity with God? Do His will today.
Father, help me see through the fluff and flimsiness of what the world offers. I want to embrace Your will and abide in Your presence.
©Winter 2008-2009 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines
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