Thursday; August 11

The other morning I walked outside and was immediately struck by the oppressive heat. I was wearing sunglasses which fogged over and a long-sleeved shirt with a tie which intensified the heat. I remember having to walk out to my car which was parked in a parking lot quite a ways away. My most pressing thought was to get done what I needed to get done so I could get back into the cool building. I still remember the relief I felt when I got back to the air conditioning. As I have thought about that miserable morning, I considered what life would be like if I didn’t have air conditioning or at least a way to be able to find some relief from the heat. I don’t know how long I could have lasted!

Now, the reason I bring this up isn’t so you’ll feel sorry for me, but as a reminder that this appears to be the thought process Jesus used to try to keep people from living a life of sin. Honestly, I don’t know what hell will be like, but Jesus described it as “… the unquenchable fire, [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]” (Mark 9:43-44). I don’t know about you but being exposed to an eternal fire for which there is no relief causes me to take inventory of my life. If I am miserable for a few minutes in oppressive summer heat, what will an eternity of unbearable heat do to me?

Let’s live our lives in a way that we will be rewarded for the good we do. Yet, on those occasions when we are tempted to do evil and ignore good, let’s remember the punishment we face when we choose a lifetime of evil.

Think About It!

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