The things we’ve loved in life will eventually come to an end. Nothing good in this life lasts unless it is founded on the Lord God. Think about your lives treasures. And now think of these same treasures long after death. Most likely, a lot of these things will become obsolete and absolutely worthless as time goes by. Even the things you may have most treasured will eventually be long forgotten as time goes by. Things get old and rusty. They eventual decay and give way and break apart. Do not think that you are leaving a great legacy behind if the Lord is not at the head. For what you hold dear to your heart may break and shatter before you know it. Everything in this life will eventually decay and come to dust. Put your trust in God, where there is no rust but joy everlasting. If you are not trusting in God but the luxuries of life, then you are deceived and your heart is wicked. Anyone, not building on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, will eventually be left in guilt in shame. And if they could see this, 2“they might see that they themselves are beasts.” I pray that these people do repent before it is too late. Solomon taught, 2“Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” And where is that place that goes upward? Heaven. And where is that place that goes downward? Hell fire. Where is your destination?
God created us from the dust and therefore, our bodies will, one day, return to dust. He said, 1“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” But that is not where our life ends. Solomon taught, 3“then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” In death, our bodies are laid to rest but our Spirits do return to God in judgement. The wicked and the righteous will stand and await their sentence or reward. 2“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.” There will be rejoicing for the righteous but much fear for the wicked. Then, when our turn it is up, God will judge us on everything we’ve ever done in this life, especially our sins, if we did not repent. This is because, 2“God requireth that which is past.” We can be made clean by the blood of Jesus but most neglect this precious opportunity. The wrath of God is therefore poured out upon the wicked in judgement. And 2“God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” If you are not ready to meet your maker, then come to Jesus and be made right with Him today. Understand that 2“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that each one of us looks at our priorities and if they are off base, help us correct them. May our treasures be found in You and not of this world. If there is anything inside of us that loves money or the things, that this world offers, ahead of You, help us discover that part of our lives that we may get rid of it soon, before it festers inside of us. I know that the luxuries of this world look so good and appealing to the flesh. For I have given myself over to these things time and time again, but each time there is shame and regret. My life becomes tarnished. I regret these choices I have made. For that reason, I gave it all to You, Lord. It is not worth building up a small fortune on things in life if it is not going to last or come to dust. I’d rather build my life on solid ground, where Your light shines. Yes Lord, You are my rock and my fortress and my high tower. Lift me up, all my days, to follow You and to do Your will. I trust in You Lord. My heart is Yours. I can’t wait for the day to see You in judgement and rejoice in my Savior. I love You. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Genesis 3:9-19 (KJV)
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
2Ecclesiastes 3:14-22 (KJV)
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
3Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 (KJV)
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
