FROM ELDER PETER RICHARDSON:
I just came indoors about 5 minutes ago from cutting down a huge oak tree at the end of our driveway. One of the four trees had died. Three men from the township barricaded the road and after being cut, the tree came down with a crash! Now the work of harvesting the wood to heat our house, will begin. Arlana will be surprised when she gets home tonight, because we hadn’t planned on taking the tree down today.
I told you this story to illustrate how quickly things can change! I wasn’t around when the acorn sprouted about 125 years ago, but I have grown accustomed to the tree being there in the years that we have owned this property. But Sunday’s sermon on Hebrews 12:18-29 emphasized how important it is to put our faith in the unshakable. Life can “turn on a dime,” so it’s a great comfort us to know, as Born Again Christians, that our fate is sealed. It makes it so much easier to cope when life surprises us, as it so often does.
I also talked to you on Sunday about focusing on your “endgame.” Ephesians 5:15-17 says:
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
It is a sobering thought, but in many ways, I believe that the days are evil. Satan loves it when we fill our time with meaningless “fluff.” Instead, let’s disappoint the devil by focusing on the tasks that God wants us to accomplish. Our days on this earth seems to slip away very quickly and before you know it, our time here is over. What do you want to accomplish with your precious days?
In Christ,
Elder Peter Richardson