Reluctant Retiree

It has been cloudy all day. Everytime I look up I see clouds of various shades and shapes. But as much as I want to, I do not yet see any extraordinary events in the clouds. But someday, you and I will, whether we believe it or not.

I Thessalonians 4:16-18 says, “And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Jesus was pretty explicit when He described the end times. In these verses, Paul recounts Jesus’ description. When Jesus Christ returns to earth, everyone will see Him and will bow down in worship and confess that He is Lord of all. Those who have believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord will rise from the earth into the clouds to meet Jesus. Then we will spend eternity with Him in a place called the New Earth and New Heaven. These words should encourage the believer because our future is secure. But the same words should terrify the one who has not believed because the future is also secure for them. They will spend eternity in torment apart from the Lord. The choice is yours to make today.

We are all built the same in many ways. Since we were small children, we always wanted the thing that our parents, or others in authority, told us that we couldn’t have. As we walked through a store, we wanted something that our parents had already said no to. We wanted the toy that somebody else was playing with. We wanted to do what our parents told us not to. And we are still like that in adulthood. We want what is forbidden for us.

Genesis 2:16-17 says, “But the Lord God gave him this warning: ‘You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die.'” God had prepared a lush garden with all the enjoyments that Adam and Eve could want. They could eat any fruit as often as they liked. But He forbid them from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was not being overbearing or mean in this restriction, but rather He was protecting them from dire consequences, that is, death.

Freedom comes to us when we trust in God’s authority. He is worthy of this trust as He has all knowledge and wisdom. In His wisdom, He can protect us from the consequences of poor choices. In His goodness and love, He wants to give us the best while keeping us from trouble. In His mercy, He makes a way for us to enjoy the best that He has to offer. Failure to trust in God’s authority leads us down an often terrifying path. Choose the path of trust in God’s authority.

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” Psalm 86:5

This single verse describes three attributes of God. He is good. He is forgiving. And He abounds in steadfast love. These three characteristics of God are sufficient causes for us to fully trust Him with everything.

God is good. He is good all the time. And He is good to all people. His goodness follows the believer all the days of his/her life. He bestows on the believer every blessing in the heavenly places, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him.

God is forgiving. He is rich in mercy and eagerly desires to display His mercy. He gave His one and only Son to save all people from wrath against sin, by providing the blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins.

God abounds in steadfast love to all who call upon Him. Those who have trusted in God are assured of His continual and overwhelming love. His love never diminishes and never ends.

I spent most of my career working as an internal auditor for a large bank. It was my job to examine the accounting records and operating procedures to ensure all transactions were accurately recorded and the financial risk to the company was minimized.

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to do the same thing in relationships. We record all the hurts caused by others on the tablets of our hearts and minds, never to be forgiven or forgotten. Of course, we also record the joys, but sometimes they are hidden by the overwhelming debt that we have assigned to the other person.

I Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” Continual love from an earnest heart can teach us to forgive others for the hurts they have caused us. Love can help us constantly wipe the slate clean so that our hearts are healed and the relationship is redeemed. God loves us in this manner. His love caused Him to send His Son to redeem us and give us forgiveness. Since He has loved us in this way, we can ask Him to help us love others in the same way.

Very often facts are revealed over time. Investigations learn details of crimes committed, but it takes time to pull the facts together and have the experts analyze them. Even in our personal lives, many situations require time to gather facts and understanding.

John 16:13-14 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The source of all truth is God, who has all knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He declares the truth to us in the inner man through His Holy Spirit and His Word. Just like the investigations mentioned above, we gain understanding and knowledge over time as we experience God’s truth.