Carol J German

A day is coming for every believer that will trump even the best day the world could provide. It is the day when God calls you home. In that moment when you stand in front of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing your struggles with your flesh and sin are now over with, will be the best day ever. All will be well in the presence of God.

I imagine that day will look relatively the same for every believer. After walking by faith for a certain amount of time, whether short or lengthy, your response to making it home will be similar. Someone who has chosen to repent of his sins and allow Jesus to change their heart and mind to follow in obedience will respond with gratefulness and sheer joy as he falls into the arms of Jesus and says, “Wow, Lord, I made it home!”

A true believer who walks the paths on earth will enter heaven a bit beat up, bruised, hopefully not too calloused from the disappointments he faced while walking by faith and not by sight every day. A follower of Jesus will face Christ with teary eyes, tired hands, and worn out feet. His heart will be the most humbled than it has every been.

Why do I say this? Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 and pay attention to verse 18. “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

If the righteous are barely saved.

Ponder this for a moment.

The question one needs to ask is, “Am I walking worthy of God and His ways on this side of heaven?” I think it is imperative that you and I allow God to show us the answer to this question. When God reveals areas of weakness, are you willing to change and let God build up your faith as you mature in trusting Him? It is not a matter of if God reveals, but what will He reveal. You and I are imperfect human beings bent on sinning. When Jesus enters your heart, you become a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17). This change within you must be built up. This process is called sanctification. Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit to help in this process. What God needs from you is cooperation.

Are you willing to do something with your faith? Are you open to following wherever God leads you?

God beckons every believer to trust Him.

When you trust God, He then can move heaven and earth for you. God is God and He is your provider, sustainer, strength, and conqueror of disbelief, doubts, and disappointments. He will see to it that you make it home to heaven. Jesus is the only way for this to happen; read John 14:1-7.

Make today the best day ever on this side of heaven by wholeheartedly believing and trusting in your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus becoming your Savior happens when you go to the cross and confess your sins and ask Him to come into your life. He is happy to oblige. Then Jesus becoming Lord happens when you walk obediently to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. It’s like you pick up your own cross and walk by faith in whatever God has for you.

When you walk in this manner, no matter how bruised or calloused you get for proclaiming the name of Jesus, when you stand in front of Jesus one day, you can say with confidence and much relief, “Wow, Lord, I made it home!”