The Kingdom of Heaven
The young man had found a sweet spot in the river. This spot was where the fish were large and easy to catch. But it was not easy to get to the sweet spot. To reach it, he waded out into the river. Then he went down the river for a ways. Finally, he crossed to the other side. However, the young man loved catching fish. So, every day after work, he would rush home and hurry to this sweet spot for an evening of fishing.
Hold on to the World and Miss the Kingdom of Heaven!
Every day when he waded into the river, he had his hands full. You see, he always carried a folding chair, an ice chest, a tackle box, and his fishing rod. Carrying this stuff was no problem because the river is shallow and easy to wade. But sometimes the river current washed away sand and caused deep holes in random places. One day, as he waded across the river, he stepped into one of these holes and almost drowned.
The Kingdom of Heaven is Within Reach
It should have been no problem for him to swim to safety. But the stuff he carried in his hands pulled him down. It almost cost him his life. The next day, as he recounted this story, it was clear he was shaken. He had come dangerously close to death. I asked him, “Why didn’t you just turn loose of your stuff and swim to safety.” His answer was, “I didn’t want to lose my stuff.” He almost died for the sake of a handful of stuff.
Don’t Miss the Kingdom of Heaven
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This means it is within reach, and it is available to all who wish to live in it. All we have to do is reach out and take the hand of Jesus, who is reaching out to us. However, most people will never receive salvation. Why? Because they have filled their arms and hands with things of this world. To reach for Jesus would mean to turn loose of their stuff. Things of earth will rot and rust, but Jesus will rule and reign forever. Drop those things of the world and reach for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take the hand of Jesus and be saved, or cling to this world, sink into the pit of hell, and be lost forever.
What profit is there for a man who gains the whole world if he loses his soul?
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Matthew 16:24-26 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.16.24-25.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com
