1) Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. 2) I am here on earth for just a little while; do not hide your commands from me.

Recently we saw the tragic deaths of 3 young children from the family of Danny & Leila Abdallah. In a portion of a statement they publicly released they said, “Our life here on earth is but a vapour in comparison to His eternal plans, and the purpose God holds for His children.” This couple and their family love Jesus and their statement and these passages today really bring home that our lives are temporary, fleeting, reinforcing that this world is not our home. We should be living like strangers here.

When I was much younger, in my 20’s I didn’t give much thought about dying or heaven, I mean I was just starting my adult life with 50+ years ahead of me, why think about the end of my life.

But I do need to, regardless of age, as a believer in Jesus we understand that our lives are temporary, eternity is real. These passages and many others in the Bible make this very clear, there is no uncertainty. I need to keep heaven in mind and especially those in my life that I know do not know Jesus, this is where eternity really matters. My life and witness to them. The only thing we can take with us into eternity is our belief in Jesus.

Lord, help me to never forget this perspective as I journey through my life to eternity with you. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

There is more to life than just here and now. I can clearly remember when this revelation changed my life forever.  I was 18 years old and in my first year of university.

I grew up going to church and had given my life to Jesus at a young age. However, I hadn’t really made the connection that God’s purposes for my life were much bigger than just for me to lead a happy life. I’d say that up to then, my life was fairly “me-centred”.

One of the main things that opened my eyes was meeting other Christians at university who lived with purpose beyond themselves. They helped me to see that God has a plan for each one of us to impact the world by introducing others to His love through Jesus.

Having a sense of purpose in all that I do changes everything. Even the mundane things of life can have meaning when I know that God is at work in me and through me.

Today I choose to look at life through the lens of eternity.  I invite Jesus into every part of my life, to see that he can take the seemingly small offering of my life and make it eternally significant.

Written by Shelley Witt

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.

This verse brings great encouragement – even if it’s hard to understand that God was caring for me before I existed!  The word of God does the work of settling my soul and revealing truth to me. His word contends with the lies because, sadly, when I first read this verse, I started to argue against it. I allowed the pain of the past and my struggles to stir up doubt: what about when that happened, it didn’t seem that You were caring for me then?

But as I deliberately meditated on how God is my Creator, I am reminded that You Father God designed me. You have purpose and intention. That when bad things happen, it doesn’t mean I was a mistake or an accident. I am not an afterthought. I am not forgotten. Far from it. While circumstance, emotions and the work of the enemy would have me doubt You, Your word tells me otherwise: “You were in my care even before you were born”. As I continue to think about this, I imagine Father God saying it to me with a warm smiling voice and a tender look in His eye. I am reminded that You are for me and have all things in control.  My heart is at peace again.

Father God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for watching over me and caring for me. I am so thankful that You speak truth to me.

Written by Gab Martin

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

What an amazing incident. I love how God works and that we get to see both sides of the story. God sees the Ethiopian man, a seeker who desires to truly know God. God sees Philip, a God follower and believer in Jesus, who desires to serve God and spread the Good News. In a beautifully creative and at the same time incredibly understated way, God gives both men the desires of their heart by using Philip to share the Good News with the Ethiopian man.

I read this account and marvel at the goodness of God.

Thank you God that you are the same today, using people all over the world to answer prayers and fulfill desires. Lord, help me to lay down the things that get in the way of being available to you, the fears and insecurities. Help me to be aware of the bigger picture and to walk by faith, with expectancy that you will use me like you used Philip, to point people to Jesus. Amen. 

Written by Ps. Bethany Waugh

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

This passage begins with the words “Those who were SCATTERED preached the word wherever they went.”

I truly believe God calls all His sons and daughters to be master evangelists.  Not everyone can stand and preach to the masses like Billy Graham but all of us can have the passion and conviction to share the gospel where ever God may “scatter” us.  To say to our unsaved friends and family “look what Jesus has done in my life. I want you to know Him too.”

We tend to leave the evangelism to Pastors and Ministers – people who are called to minister largely to those who are already saved.  God needs his evangelists to be “scattered” – to be positioned near people that need to hear the gospel.  Where God scatters me isn’t important.  What’s important is what I do when I’m there.

Lord, please infuse my whole life with the power of Your Holy Spirit – so that wherever you see fit to “scatter” me I will share with those around me how great You are.

Written by Boudy Van Noppen