Thy will be Done...the Wayfarer 3/15/19

 

 

Beulah Land

 

John 14:1-4

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

 

The title today comes from yet another beloved hymn heard regularly, rendered by many in expectation of that world not made by hands of men, obtainable only through faith, and the grace that permits that faith, given us by God through His only begotten Son, Whose promise was and is delivered by virtue of the sacrifice he made for those willing to have that faith, uncompromising until the time of its delivery.

Each time I hear this particular hymn, I cannot help but picture the middle aged singer I first heard sing it, the beautiful way in which it was sung, but most of all, the complete and total exaltation of God in its delivery that was in both the voice and face of a man now passed to meet God, and take his place among those exalting Christ Jesus when that promise has been delivered.

 

“I’m kind of homesick, for a country, to which I’ve never been before;

No sad goodbyes will there be spoken, for time won’t matter anymore.

I’m looking now, across the river, where my faith will end in sight.

There’s just a few more days to labor, then I will take my heavenly flight.

Beulah Land, I’m longing for you; and some day on thee I’ll stand.

There my home shall be eternal, Beulah Land… sweet Beulah Land.”

 

All of those who accept that promise as given by Jesus cannot help but be homesick for the final destination that has been promised, cannot help but find all else less than adequate by comparison, and cannot help but constantly cling to the promise in the midst of all adversity that must first be faced before arrival at that destination.

Paul reminded us of that longing that he felt, and the reason that longing was not yet fulfilled as he wrote hoping to provide others with that same hope, that same certainty, despite the circumstances faced in his journey. His example should give strength to any facing temptation to abandon that hope and certainty, and should shame any facing far less than he faced as he wrote of that longing.

 Philippians 1King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

² Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

⁴ Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

⁵ For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

⁷ Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

⁸ For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

¹¹ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

¹² But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

¹³ So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

¹⁴ And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

¹⁶ The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

¹⁷ But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

¹⁸ What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

¹⁹ For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰ According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

²² But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

²³ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

²⁴ Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

²⁵ And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

²⁶ That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

²⁸ And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

²⁹ For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

³⁰ Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

 

Paul faced many challenges, as did each and all of the disciples who passed on to us the promise that was given us by none less than the very Son of God, Christ Jesus.

Their journey, difficult though it may have been, was worth that difficulty to them because of the NEED to share that promise with all who would believe, and to provide the warning to those who would, and still do, refuse to believe and accept that promise.

The promise remains in effect, the warnings remain in effect, the choice must be made by each for themselves, and the consequences of that choice must be faced by each individually.

The last two chapters of Revelation gives an inkling, only, of what lies at the end of the journey… it gives a brief picture of both the promise and the warning that needs no elaboration, as it was given us to comprehend and accept, or to deny at will.

Read for yourself those words, know that your choice is final.

God remains constant, the promise remains constant, the warning remains constant.

Amen and amen

CMc