Before The WrathSýnishorn

Consider the Things that are Eternal

DEVOTIONAL:

Whether it’s a pandemic, stock market crash, war, job loss, or any other situation or event that disrupts our lives, perspective is paramount to not being crushed by the weight of the moment. Scripture reminds us over and over that we are not independent creatures but are totally and completely reliant on the God who took a handful of dust and breathed life into man and who will ultimately call us home when our mortal bodies fail in this world.

Because of our frailty and utter dependence on our Heavenly Father, it is essential for us to keep our eyes focused on the things of heaven. When we begin to look around us, we lose perspective and lose our connection to the Creator. In much the same way that Peter began to sink into the sea when he took his eyes off Christ, when we begin to place more attention on the temporal things around—rather than the eternal things of God—we will inevitably begin sinking into a pit of hopelessness and despair. The things around us—the stuff of this earth—will not last or satisfy, no matter how much we try to gather.

As we consider all this, along with our own frailty and propensity to become bogged down with the distractions of this life, let us lift our eyes and direct our focus to the hope that Christ has secured for us in His death, burial, and resurrection. One day, we will possess a body, not of dust, but resurrected like our Savior’s.

TALK IT OVER:

1. What does being taken from dust reveal about our nature? God’s nature?
2. Why do you think it’s important to “set your hearts on things above”? When have you focused your attention on things below? What was the outcome?
3. How does looking towards Christ’s return provide us with a “living hope” (see 1 Peter 1:3-5)? What is our inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade (v. 4)?