When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from "How much pleasure am I getting out of life?" to "How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?" ~Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.
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I'm still reading in 2 Kings these days. The kings of Israel and Judah are all listed in 1st and 2nd Kings. Some of the kings have wonderful tales told about them and what they accomplished. Others...well...not so much. But there's one thing I've noticed about all of them. Something they ALL had in common.
All the kings are dead.
Yep. They all died.
OK. That's not exactly a major revelation, is it? We all are born, we live, and we die. Finis!
"Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David." 1 Kings 2:10
"Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. Then he rested with his fathers and was buried..." 1 Kings 11:41
"Ahab rested with his fathers." 1 Kings 22:39
On and on. Every king lived, reigned and died.
The difference in their stories, however, is told in simple words like, "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord" or "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord." Very plainly, their lives can be summed up by one of two words: evil or right.
So maybe that's why the above quote from one of my favorite books, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE, struck me so profoundly today. Even kings will have to answer for what they did in this life. Despite grand palaces, major battles won, and kingdoms at their disposal, it's all going to come down to one question:
Did their life please God or did they live to please themselves?
That question applies to everyone! Kings, paupers, CEO's, garbage collectors, accountants, President's of the United States. Every single one of us will be held accountable for our time on earth.
Maybe it's time to ask yourself: Is my life pleasing to God?
If the answer isn't too positive, then change it! Do what you need to do now! Because one of these days...you won't have anymore days left!
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