For the Lord himself will come down from heaven . . . Therefore, encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,18<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not too long ago, my wife and I went on a long walk. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to walk beyond our planned path. As we meandered through a subdivision on this unmarked path, we weren\u2019t quite sure where it would lead. Nor did we have our phones on us to provide a map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we came across two women sitting on the park bench, we didn\u2019t simply ask, \u201cDo you know where this path leads?\u201d Rather, my wife started by asking, \u201cDo you live around here?\u201d When the women said, \u201cYes,\u201d our confidence level went up. We were encouraged. They would know where the path led because they were from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we go through life, we don\u2019t always know where our paths lead. But considering that our goal is heaven, how encouraging it is to know that\u2019s where our Lord lives. And the reason he\u2019s there is because he finished his work here. Jesus lived a perfect life for you and died to take away your sins. He rose again, sealing his victory over death so he could open heaven to us. Today, in heaven, he is sitting at the right hand of God, ruling over all things for your benefit. Don\u2019t miss the significance of those two little words, \u201cThe Lord himself will come down from heaven.\u201d Be encouraged by these words and know that your King is coming from heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear Jesus, as I go through life, I often get discouraged by the difficulties of life. Today, encourage me with the assurance that you are already in heaven and you are coming back so that I can be with you there. Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"