My brother in Christ, Stan Barth, and I have served several years together at Hutchins State Jail and Dallas Real Estate Ministries. Over the past few years, Stan has written a weekly devotional entitled SOAP. I’ve published a few of these in our devotional series. They are all good and meaningful. Today, I would like to feature one of his most recent. Thank you, Stan, for being faithful to influence God’s kingdom here on earth.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58: Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Observation: Paul writes of how the dead will rise. They will be given an imperishable and spiritually pure and perfect body that will last forever. Death will be overcome; therefore, we should stand firm through the trials and pains of this life, knowing we will live for eternity upon the resurrection of our body.
Application: I plan and toil every day of my life in order to more fully enjoy and experience the limited days of my life. Now, that is vanity! My energy, efforts and emotions need to be focused more on the Lord and less on this perishable body and temporal existence.
Prayer: Lord, by your grace you chose to present to me the gift of eternal existence in the community of the saints. Energize and encourage me to labor not for man nor myself but for you and your glory. In your everlasting name, amen.
