DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012

“The Best Is Yet to Come”

BY

GREG LAURIE

“But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” (Matthew 19:30)

Maybe you sometimes feel the way Peter did. Speaking on behalf of the disciples, he said to Jesus, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” (Matthew 19:27).

Jesus replied, “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then” (verses 29–30).

You might say, “Well, Greg, I have given up some things to follow Jesus. So where is the substantial return?” That is coming later.

Here is the thing you have to acknowledge. Whatever you have given up, hasn’t God made it up to you? You gave up a few friends. Hasn’t He given you better friends in their place? You have given up so-called pleasures. But in retrospect, you realize now they weren’t pleasures at all, but addictions—and destructive ones at that. You have seen how your life has changed, and God has already made it up to you.

Even so, the best is yet to come. Because when we go to heaven, we will have rewards waiting for us. Then heaven comes to Earth, and we will have the millennial reign of Christ. Then ultimately, we will have the rule and reign of Christ on the Earth in the new kingdom, and we will be a part of that. We will be ruling and reigning with Him then. And that statement of our Lord in response to Peter’s question will be fulfilled then.

So whatever you have given up—or whatever you are giving up—will be more than made up to you.

Summary sentence: Whatever you give up, will be more than made up to you by Christ.