Last Sunday, Pastor Jeff said that God sends us trials and hard times to draw us closer to Him and to make us long for heaven. I’ve been realizing more and more lately that that’s true. During the hard times, I grow the most in my faith and I learn to rely more on God, and I do find myself looking forward to my eternal home in heaven.
The past two nights, my family has gone on bike rides. We always go in the evenings when the sun is going down so it’s not too hot. The sunsets are always beautiful, and when there are clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays shine out in bright streams. I like to call it a “doorway to heaven,” and I wish I would have gotten a picture of it so I could post it here. But since I don’t have a picture, I’ll just end with a couple Bible verses.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence.”
~James 1:2-3
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
~Colossians 3:1-2
I often get distracted by the things of this world, but I am so thankful to have good friends who are there to help me keep my focus on God.