Day 20- The Hope of Fellowship

10/18- Saturday Rev. 21:3,4 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Bonhoeffer: “He will send the shy to show He can speak through anyone…the struggle of the natural man [is] for self-justification.  They find it through comparing themselves to others, and condemning and judging others.  Self-justification and judging go together.” 

Thoughts: God dwells with us now.  But when the will of God is totally fulfilled He will dwell with His people face to face.  Now we see through a mirror dimly- but then face to face.  At the end of life it will be clear that God is a God of presence, of grace, and of love.  All the doubts will fly away when we see God face to face.  Death will end.  It is God’s will that death will one day come to an end.  It is God’s will that evil, hurt, and harm will one day end.  It is God’s will that sadness will stop.  It is God’s will that one day pain will hurt us no more.  This life and its pain, death, sadness will not go on forever.  God puts an end to the heartaches of life.  The hope of the fellowship unites the fellowship.  Our hope is to work for what will last and to be on the side that works to end pain with healing; to end sadness with comfort; to end evil with good; to end aloneness with fellowship and love. There is a hope involved in Christian fellowship unlike any other hope in the world.  It is the hope of eternal love, eternal fellowship, and eternal life. 

Prayer: May I never lose sight of the hope of your conquering the sadness found in this life, 

Lord.  

Together forever-