Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

25 April 2024

Reading From Psalms 73, 77-78

“Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted,
    and every morning brings new punishments.

If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
    you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed
    completely swept away by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.

When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;
    you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I will tell of all your deeds.”

–Psalm 73

     From the perspective of the psalmist, the wicked have no trouble at all as they seem to prosper in health, money, career and possessions.  Faith in God should bring an eternal perspective on these matters.  A great many people are outwardly successful, but inwardly they are wasting away.  They often don’t realize the enormity of their spiritual lack and heartache because money is an insulator against feeling any sort of need for God or His intervention.  When times are good and wealth is plentiful, the wicked truly find it strange that anyone would serve the Lord. 

     Not only is anyone who chooses not to believe in Jesus or follow Him spiritually impoverished, but their destiny is eternity outside of the Presence of God and no one can take their riches beyond the grave.  Everyone alive today will face death.  Everyone will live eternally, it is simply a matter of where their address will be.  I choose life abundant and eternal with God and as part of His eternal family.  Therein I have found a deep sense of belonging and my destiny will be reigning with Christ in our forever home in the New Heaven and the New Earth.  My treasure is there.  It isn’t wealth that is wicked in and of itself; it’s what one does with it.  It can be used to bless or become a curse.

     No amount of money or fame or religious ritual can buy eternal salvation.  No insurance policy or tithe or donation can pay for a ticket to share in Glory.  The Way is paid for only by the precious blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I cannot add anything of value to the finished work on the cross and the empty tomb.  My best righteousness is as filthy rags.  Faith and trust in Him allows God the Father to seal us to Himself by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  This is all by the grace, the undeserved favor, of Almighty God made available to anyone who would believe and call upon His Name.

     Those who trust in wealth by their own efforts have their consciences seared by their own rebellion.  They continually invent new ways of feeding their own selfish appetites.  If they succeed according to standards of whatever culture they live in, they become arrogant toward those who humbly follow the true and Living God.  The lost think that belief in Someone we cannot see with physical eyes is absurd, let alone to build a life upon that faith.  What truly scares me is when this attitude creeps into the church and supposed Christians become snobbish to those whose faith actually informs real life decisions that earnest followers of Christ make.

     Regardless of how successful unbelievers seem in this life, their destiny is eternity in Hell if they choose not to turn to God for His gift of love and forgiveness and acceptance.  No matter how wonderful their external appearances seem, looks are deceiving and they are dying inside.  They will die eternally if they do not choose to accept the help of the Savior.  For those who do turn to Him, He Himself is our reward.  He is our portion, the lifter of our heads. 

“God, help me to maintain proper perspective of life and the world around me.  Remind me of Your goodness and may I be truly grateful for what You have blessed me with.  Thank You for the strength I need to work for a living and I pray that I would honor You with the way that I steward those resources.  Help me to be a blessing to others in both tangible and spiritual ways.  Show me what it means to be content in every circumstance.  I pray that I would love You, love others and love myself.  May I see myself the way You see me.  Dearly loved and appreciated, despite my flaws.  Thank You for making me and loving me just as I am and for bringing me along in this messy and beautiful process of becoming more like You; the man You’ve called me to be.  Amen.”

For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured –Jeremiah 48:7

Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. –Psalm 62:10

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. –I Timothy 6:17