On Thursday of last week, a twenty-four year old man massacred an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He killed twelve children - lined them up facing a wall and shot them in the back of the head, one by one. He injured twelve others. Innocent lives, snuffed out. I can’t help but think of the kids I met in the short time I spent in Rio 18 months ago, whose young lives were already riddled with tragedy and difficulty. My heart aches.
Life is hard. Often filled with pain, heartache, death, separation, and tears. Satan, the father of lies, tries to convince us to buy into counterfeit things. We become distracted by what this world has to offer – cheap imitations of true life, joy, and peace. As I read through Philippians, I’m reminded that this world is truly not our home. We were created for something better than this.
Revelation 21:1-4 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Praise God! Oh what we have to look forward to! Lord, save me from becoming distracted with anything but You. For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain. You are life, You are hope, You are the only Way.
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