Friday February 2, 2024

As we begin our journey through this NEW YEAR 2024 living in God's daily NEW MERCIES, I invite you to wander with me in pictures through one of Cartagena, Colombia's most fascinating neighborhoods: Getsemaní. Here, Casa Mulata in the heart of Getsemaní.

NEW YEAR, NEW MERCIES: DAY 3

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. ~Matthew 6:19-20

If eternity is the plan, then it makes no sense to shrink your living down to the needs and wants of this little moment.

The Bible is a big-picture book that calls us to big-picture living. It stretches the elasticity of your mind as it calls you to think about things before the world began and thousands of years into eternity... It doesn’t give you room to shrink your thoughts, desires, words, and actions down to whatever spontaneous thought, emotion, or need grips you at any given time. In a moment, your thoughts can seem more important than they actually are. In a moment, your emotions can seem more reliable than they really are. In a moment, your needs can seem more essential than they truly are...

It’s hard to live with eternity in view. Life does shrink to the moment again and again... There are moments when who we are, who God is, and where this whole thing is going shrink into the background of the thoughts, emotions, and needs of the moment. There are moments when we get lost in the middle of God’s story...

God reminds us that this is not all there is, that we were created and re-created in Christ Jesus for eternity... There is grace for our fickle and easily distracted hearts. There is rescue for our self-absorption and lack of focus. The God of eternity grants you His eternal grace so that you can live with eternity in view.

Thank You God, for Your patience with my self-absorbed and fickle heart. Thank You for Your grace that constantly reminds me and helps me to live focused on, not the fleeting moment I am in, but all of eternity before me.