History Books in 90 Days: Nehemiah 8-9
2 Corinthians 2:10 (ESV); For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that
each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
When we stand before God, we are going to receive whatever is due to us based on what we
did while we were on earth. Our rewards are not a goody bag following a Christmas pageant
– 6 peanuts, 4 chocolate almonds and a Christmas orange for everyone. As much as “equal
treatment for all” is a motto of our times, it will not be the case in heaven. If it were, God could
just sweep us into His arms the moment we say the “sinner’s prayer.” As it is, God actually cares
about how we handle the responsibilities we’ve been given on this earth.
It’s natural to squelch any feelings of panic right now by saying, “Well I’m sure just being in
heaven will be enough. I won’t even care because I’ll be with God.” But the apostle John tells us
that we need to take care to abide in Christ now so that we will not be embarrassed on that day
(1 John 2:28)!
Every human being has common longings. We long for forms of power, possessions, praise
and pleasure. Though we often attempt to satisfy these desires in the wrong places, the desires
themselves are God-given. He placed those longings into you! We can be sure that we will
find the true fulfillment to these longings when we are living in God’s perfect Kingdom. But the
degree to which we will experience these rewards is directly related to what we do in the here
and now. Don’t be short-changed by coddling yourself with excuses.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How is the Holy Spirit moving in your heart through what you have read today? Ask Him to
speak to you clearly through these words.
2. Ask God to show you how the longings for power, possessions, pleasure and praise are
evident in your life now. How do you satisfy them? Ask Him to give you His divine insight –
just a glimpse! – of how He so wants to fulfill these in heaven.
3. How can the things Jesus showed you today change your perspective and the way that
you live? Ask Jesus to give you a longing for His kingdom.
