Ask yourself: can I speak as boldly and confidently about my life as Paul did regarding his?
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing
2nd Timothy 4:7-8
This past weekend my one and only child graduated from High School. Friends and family came from every direction to celebrate her 13 years of hard work and dedication. (I am counting Kindergarten also 🙂 ).
Of course no celebration is complete without food and we had plenty of that (all weekend long).
It was so great to see her celebrated and just a blessing to experience this joyous time with her. She had grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends that witnessed and participated in 3 days of celebration for this special occasion. We truly had so much fun that we could hardly stand it.
As I sat taking all of this in I couldn’t help but think that someday we will all graduate, not from High School, but from this life to the next. Instead of a diploma we will be awarded a crown. There will be angles there to celebrate our victorious arrival. Our speaker of the hour will be Jesus Himself. As we are each ushered in, my prayer is that He will look at each of us and say well done my good and faithful servant.
This graduation differs however in the fact that we are unaware of the time that is specified to each of us to complete our course work. You see my daughter knew exactly what subjects she had to take in High School and that they all had to be completed by her Senior year. We on the other hand have to be ready at all times to graduate from this life to the next, because we simply will not know when we are in our final hour. Only those who are not ready will fear this transition.
Will you be ready?
Mark 13:32-37
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Revelation 3:3
Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Revelation 2:10
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
1 Peter 5:4
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[a] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him,[b] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
