The human life is short (when compared to eternity) but very demanding. It is supposed to be a marathon, but it often feels like a 100m dash—almost daily we face challenges that trouble us. But we are assured from God’s word (2 Kings 4-6): Yahweh God cared for the helpless widow, the wealthy but childless woman by giving her a child, detoxicated the poisonous food, fed 100 servants of God and retrieved the expensive axe-head from the pond for the faithful follower of Yahweh. Likewise, God will care for you, if you would only put your faith in Him. Let God do the impossible for you, as we shall hear in today’s final sermon. Are you worried about problems still unsolved? Oftentimes, these problems do not go away immediately. We have to live and struggle with them (daily!). But we thank and praise God: Yahweh God, who is also the Lord Jesus Christ, can carry your burdens. “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).
But God demands you satisfy a condition: you must have faith in Him. Faith is not simply believing God exists, Jesus is the only true and living God or the Bible is God’s word (and there is more than enough evidence to show all these!). True faith will translate into daily living: you will be faithful to God by honouring Him in your daily decisions: faith was how the helpless widow obeyed even though it seemed impossible; faith was how the wealthy but childless woman took care of Elisha, God’s servant. The faithful people were the 100 men who served God with Elisha and honoured Elisha, etc. When you are faithful to God, you belong to the 7,000 whom God will reserve and protect (1 Kings 19:18).
But why did God protect the 7,000 during Elisha’s time (and will protect you today too)? It is not simply because He loves you (and indeed He does). God will protect you because He wants to enable you to remain faithful to Him so that God’s Name will be glorified through your daily decisions. You may think: “This God is so self-centred!” No, He’s not. The cross shows just the opposite: God, Jesus. put Himself down totally when He died for us in order to save us into heaven. Glorifying God is right and a beautiful thing to do because He deserves it. It is just like when you see beautiful mountains and flowers and you say: “So pretty.” You praise the scenery. You must also praise and glorify God because He is far more beautiful than anyone and anything. Thus, glorifying God is the right thing to do. Glorifying God also benefits us: when things are done so that God gets all glory, the things done this way are all just, holy, loving, beautiful and eternally and totally good. And who gets this goodness? God’s children. Moreover, when you are faithful to God in your daily life, you glorify God, and you are doing things that have eternal value: you will receive an eternal reward. Thus, when you are faithful to God in your daily life, God will take special care of you. God will be glorified. As a result, you will be rewarded eternally. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! (Rom 11:33).
Dear friends, you have a soul—this is the real you, Your body will die but your soul lives on eternally. Where will your soul be when your soul separates from your physical body at death? Receive Jesus as your Saviour today. Her will forgive you your sins, and give you eternal life. In this world, He will walk life with you, and love and protect you. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Dear Christian, this world is not your home. You are only passing by. You don’t belong here. You only have one life to serve the Lord. After that, you enter eternity. Serve the Lord. Be faithful to Him. Put Him first. Honour Him. Then you will receive a reward that is better than anything in this world because it lasts eternity.