The Fundamental Blog

In a society, the time when civil uprising and the threat of revolution is the greatest is not when we might expect. We would expect that a tipping point is reached when the conditions are so bad that they cannot be endured any longer and then the cork blows out of the bottle. In actuality; there is almost no limit to the oppression a people will endure. When things get out of control is when the conditions begin to improve. The closer a society comes to realizing that there may be something better ahead, the more apt that society is to turn on its leaders and begin an attempt to overthrow the powers that be. It’s when people begin to realize that there is so much more that they might aspire to become that the present condition becomes absolutely unbearable.

So too it is with us; the faithful. Since the creation of the earth, we have been under the deceitful control of the whims of Satan. Yes, only by the permission allowed him by God the Father, but we have been living in a fallen world for so long that it seems normal to us. Only when we begin to see the appearance of the glory of the Lord approaching in the last days will our discontent be the greatest. I believe that this is the reason that the writer of Hebrews admonishes us in 10:25, “… let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The closer we get to the, “Day,” the more we will need to be encouraged. I was thinking about this verse over the course of the last few days because it’s getting closer to the time for me to go home.

Normally I am on the road for 18 days and then I get 3 or 3 1/2 at home before I have to go back out. The first few days are hard. They are little more than a stinging reminder that the comforts of home are still at home, while I’m not. And while I would rather stay home all the time, after a few days out, things fall into an acceptable routine of being on the road again. Tomorrow will be my 24th day out. This is because I have a doctor’s appointment and it just made more sense to stay out an extra week and have an extra day at home as a result. But the past several days have been the hardest I have had to endure in a long time. The closer it gets to actually being home again, the harder it seems to be to wait. Each hour seems like a day, and every day, a week! Time may fly when you’re having fun, but it drags when you’re not.

Just as Ecclesiastes tells us over and over again, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The inverse relationship between enjoyment and the passing of time is as old as time itself. This is why the encouragement we require increases as the Day of the Lord’s coming gets nearer. Here’s the thing: most of us offer encouragement and then think, “I’ve already encouraged that person, I can move on now.” It isn’t true. Every day we are one day closer to the, “Day,” and so every day we need that encouragement all the more. The more we do it, the more it’s needed.

Think of the person running a footrace; in the early laps we cheer, “You can do it, you’re doing great.” We wave a banner and off they go on the next lap. But when that race comes down to the last lap, the final 100 yards, do we say, “I’ve already cheered, that’s enough.” No! That’s when we really ramp it up! We’re on our feet, we’re screaming our encouragement, we’re as red in the face as the runner and we are giving our all to encourage the runner to give their all. There’s a reason why Paul used the metaphor of running a race to describe the life we share in Christ. It is a race! We need to be encouraged and at the same time, we need to encourage others in running a good race. It isn’t enough to just get out there and run; we’re supposed to, “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24.

The context of the verse telling us, “… all the more …,” is talking about the Christian not giving up the meeting together to worship but I think it can be used far beyond just that. This is a concept that affects our entire lives. As we age, our bodies change. We acquire all sorts of aches and pains, medical conditions and we basically just begin to wear out. I don’t know about you, but I am more than a little anxious to get into that new body that the Bible promises each of us. With every new twinge, I think how nice a new immortal body would be. With my back problems, foot problems, dental problems and unmentionable problems I have pretty much proven to myself that the perishable is going to the dogs and I’m more than ready to give the new, imperishable one a try.

The waiting is the part that wears on us and every day that the Lord allows us to open our eyes in this world is another day that He has planned something for us to do. We may be facing adversity but we are to do it for the glory of our Saviour. We are to be the light to a darkened world and though we may feel as though our light is just about out; it only takes a little spark to break the darkness, to start a fire, to begin something far bigger than ourselves. I have rolled out of bed in the morning and been barely able to stand up straight only to remember that I have a 53 ft. trailer of tires that I have to unload by hand. That’s when I think, “It could be worse, I could be facing the things Jesus faced for me.” We need to remember that regardless of how insurmountable the task before us seems; if God has brought us to it, He will give us what we need to get through it.

Encouragement doesn’t need to be a ticker-tape parade or a gala event on the White House lawn. Some of the most encouraging moments are the little ones between two people that no one else ever knows about. But every day the encouragement we give, big or small, gets more important. The closer we get to the finish line, the harder each step becomes and the more we can use the help. And the best part just could be that when we encourage others, we are buoyed up ourselves. Not only does the one being encouraged get to hear something sweet to lighten their day, but we get to taste that sweetness as it leaves our mouth too. It would be easy if the command had been to become ever more cynical as the events in the world deteriorate toward the last days; but it wasn’t! In the face of worsening times we are to encourage all the MORE!

When anyone asks us, “How ya doin’?” we should answer that it’s the best day ever! Every day that God allows us to wake up is a reason to be glad. We don’t know what the day has in store for us but it doesn’t matter, the important thing is that we have another chance to respond to whatever is thrown our way in a manner that glorifies God, that makes others wonder how we can face our troubles with an uplifted heart and what it is that gives us the strength to carry on. This is an outline of goals for the believer. We all have our down days and I know there are times when this will seem like silly fluffy advice but it’s something to strive toward.

We have to understand that we are in the race. We may not know how many are ahead of us or how many are behind us but we need to brace ourselves to run like our souls depend on it. We need to be encouraged, to encourage others and to do our best to glorify God in all we do. We might not always do as well as we might like, but then none of us are perfect. We need to show the world that there is something to this living…


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