All Things are Temporary

       In the good moments and bad I often remind myself that the situation is temporary, that in a blink of the eye it could be over. In the good times thinking this way helps me to be grateful for whatever I am experiencing and enjoy the moment before it's gone. In the bad times it gives me motivation to keep moving, to keep pushing ahead because I know it won't last forever and in the end the Lord will use it for His purpose. Over the weekend I was talking with someone and we discussed this, how nothing last, how time is fleeting, and the importance to our walk of faith that we keep this in mind because it is so easy to get distracted by the temporary things whether they be circumstances or possessions.
       The scriptures say in James 4:14 "Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." This is a very humbling verse for some because it puts into perspective the truth of our situation, we are here for only a blink of the eye before we fade away into eternity. Life can feel like it is dragging on forever, that we have so much time ahead of us, but the truth is it can all change in an instant, it could all be over in an moment. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, but time in the afterlife is unending.
        Time is quickly passing away into entirety with each tick of the clock and nothing here on earth will last. Nothing last but the Word of God (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25), not that shiny new car you thought you couldn't live without, not that new cellphone you stood in line to get, and not the words you are reading now. Eventually your car will rust, the cellphone will break, and you will forget what I wrote. I want you to understand this and take it to heart, to really dwell on the fact that life on earth is temporary and that eternity and God's Word are forever because when you start to really get this deep down inside of you and remember that you can't take any of these earthly things with you, it will help you to overcome your desire for them. You won't need to keep up with the Jones' when you realize what the Jones' have won't matter in the greater scheme of things.
       Thinking on the glory of heaven and the shortness of our stay here on earth can help you to overcome the temptations of this world, and push forward in the bad circumstances, that is why Paul writes in Colossians 3:2 for our minds to be set on things above and not here on earth. When we focus more on where we are going and following Yeshua to get there we are less able to be distracted and more willing to do what is right. We think less about what we are going through and more about how can we use this for God? When we focus above and not below we are better equipped to hear God and know His will, because our wants aren't distracting as much and we are more in tune with His Spirit. When we focus not on what is fleeting (earth and everything on it) but instead what is eternal (God's Kingdom and His Word) we find strength to endure and push on, strength to overcome, and joy that is never ending. I hope that today I encouraged you to look past where you are to where you going and to let Jesus lead the way. Be blessed.
 
Psalm 39:4-7

4 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. 6 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. 7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you

Philippians 3:13-14   
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.