Pastor's Ponderings, January 2, 2018

We Can Depend Upon God Throughout Eternity

Many of us remember the story of the Three Little Pigs who built their separate houses of different materials.  One built his from straw, the next from sticks, and the last from bricks.  When the wolf came to each house, he said the same thing, “Little pig, little pig won’t you let me come in?"  When the first two pigs refused, the wolf huffed and puffed, blew their house down and ate them.  The last whose house was built from bricks also refused to let him in, but the wolf could not blow his house down and was defeated by the smart pig.

This childhood nursery rhyme contains a powerful truth.  The Bible says that we must build our hopes, dream, and our vision on things that will last eternally (1 Timothy 6:17).  In the book of Matthew, Jesus shares the parable of the person who built his house on sand and the other who build his house on solid rock.  When the elements beat upon the house with a solid foundation, it remained while the house with the sandy foundation, collapsed (Matthew 7:24-27).

People, finances, institutions, organizations, religions, educational beliefs and doctrines will not last.  They are good in the short run, but we can only depend upon an unchanging Jesus who will never change (Hebrews 13:8).  God is love, He is merciful, holy, and righteous, and a very present help in our trouble (Psalm 46:1). 

Even heaven and earth and our oceans will eventually go away (Revelation 21:1). We must not go into 2018 trusting in things that will not last.  We have the awesome privilege of leaning on, depending on and resting on an eternal God who is faithful and true, who will never leave us and never forsake us during our good times or bad times (Hebrews 13:5).  We can depend upon Him eternally.

1 Timothy 6:17
New Living Translation (NLT)

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

Matthew 7:24-27
New Living Translation (NLT)

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Hebrews 13:8
New Living Translation (NLT)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Psalm 46:1
New Living Translation (NLT)

1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble

Revelation 21:1
New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.

Hebrews 13:5
New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”