You Are Rich

A small reminder that what you have is priceless

My husband returned from Ethiopia yesterday. In his absence, I stay more connected with international headlines than I am otherwise; he has witnessed tsunamis, earthquakes, government unrest, and the beginning panic of a global pandemic while out of country, so I try to stay abreast of what might be going on that would potentially impact his travels. What I found during his most recent trip was more support for what I have known all along:

We who are adopted sons and daughters of the Lord are blessed.

The world is a mess, y’all. It’s a flaming semi loaded with aviation fuel headed towards the edge of a cliff. It’s upheaval after upheaval, heartbreak after heartbreak, deception after deception. It’s soaked in sin, marinating in evil, and happily courting hell.

And that’s just for starters.

There’s no way a person who has no hope of salvation can peek at the daily news and feel peace. The voices there are shouting death, destruction, and fear at every turn. But as one who has the assurance of an eternity with Jesus, I can read, sigh sadly, pray, and move on.

War in Ukraine. There is peace in Jesus.

Nuclear threats from Russia. There is peace in Jesus.

Israeli politicians wanting to crack down on Christian. There is peace in Jesus.

Bank failures. There is peace in Jesus.

What we have, friends, is priceless. We’ve always known it to be true, but I think we’re all feeling it even more now. This world is not our home. Whatever comes next, for good or for ill, is all part of the unfolding story that God is writing in His march towards the new heaven and the new earth. So the scary headlines? They aren’t for us. They shouldn’t stoke embers of fear in our hearts or cause us to waver.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.—Matthew 24:35

So as sad as it all is, as much prayer as it provokes, rest in the comfort of knowing that if you have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus, you are RICH. You have something absolutely priceless: you have peace.

In Christ,

Heather