Firm Foundation

 We live in a world of tragedy and heartaches continually. It is part of the sin curse on this planet. It does not mean that our hearts do not break, and we do each face our own pain and paths of sorrows. Where do people turn to cope? Unbelievers turn to vain philosophies and sin. Sin can turn into addiction. They end up worse off than when they first began trying to cope.

Followers of Jesus turn to Him and to the word of God to find comfort, strength, and a shelter in the difficult times. [Ps 46:1] The people of God build our lives on the solid rock foundation of His word. [Matt 7:24-29] The same storms of life slam against us as well. The only difference is that our foundation remains steady, while those who build on shifting sands crumble.

What is the foundation you build your life on hoping it to remain solid in the storms. Finances. Riches are shifting sand. So is success. It can all crumble quickly. So can fitness and health. So can relationships. So can popularity. It all can be wiped out in no time.

Jesus remains. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [Heb 13:8] His word remains forever. [Ps 119:160] Those who love that word will have great peace. [Ps 119:165] Keep clinging to Jesus and His word as the birth pangs continue since our redemption draws closer.

Faithful in Service

 I just finished reading about John Wesley. A zealous evangelist, tireless worker, and tremendous administrator. He is credited with founding the Methodist denomination. Wesley spent much time in prayer. He preached a salvation by grace available to the masses. The common people without pedigree were welcomed to attend his meetings. 

This did not set well with the religious establishment of the day. He was banned from preaching in any of those pulpits. He started preaching outside drawing crowds of thousands as early as 5:00 a.m. He often preached three times a day. He traveled by horseback and did not consider retirement when he reached his seventieth or eightieth decades. He worked at winning souls and organizing the growing Methodist denomination in his day. Even back then Methodism spread far beyond England to other nations like Scotland, Ireland, and the American Colonies. 

When he was 86 years old, he did a nine week preaching tour across Ireland. He preached 100 sermons in 60 different towns and villages on that tour. No slowing down for this warrior for Christ. Six of those sermons he preached outdoors. No retirement for this flaming soul devoted to God. 

In February of the following year, at 87 he preached to a large crowd outdoors calling people to repent. A couple of weeks later he preached at a chapel in London and then preached at a friend's house the following day. Suddenly his health began to fail. His eyesight dimmed. His strength faded. He died not long afterward. 

Wesley rode on horseback over 250,000 miles preaching. To better understand the magnitude of that, it is the equivalent of circling the globe ten times. It is estimated that he averaged traveling on top of a horse around 5,000 miles per year. He preached over 40,000 times. That averages out to over a sermon a day if you include his childhood years. The average is higher if you take into account he probably did not start preaching until he was 20 something. He published more than 5,000 sermons, books, and pamphlets. This man was faithful in his devotion and service to God. 

None of us can be John Wesley. I have good news. Nobody is supposed to be. God had a unique calling and purpose for Wesley just like He has for each of us. We are called to be faithful where He planted us and doing what He purposed for us to do. Faithful service is what God desires from all of us.