“REED” This

Last

This is the last day of August 2021. It is hard to believe that eight months of this year have already come and gone. If you think about it, there are a lot of “lasts” in life. Someone always gets the last piece of bacon. Someone always eats the last doughnut. Someone always takes the last banana. Someone always drinks the last of the milk. There’s the last time you use a toothbrush before getting a new one. There’s the last bit of toothpaste that will come out of a tube. Who used the last of the toilet paper and didn’t put out another roll? This is the last time I can wear these socks. This is the last time these pants will fit. This is the last day of school.  This is the last day on this job. This is the last day before retirement. There’s a last time you see a loved one before they pass. There’s a last breath that we all will take. There is a last child that will be born to you and he/she will be the baby of the family. There is a last time you walk out of a house because you’re moving. There is a last house you might buy. There’s a last vehicle you will buy. There’s the last day you drive a vehicle. There’s the last time you drive. There’s the last time you ski, bike, or sail. There’s the last time you eat at a restaurant that closes. There’s the last time you eat at a restaurant because the food is bad. There’s the last time you take a walk. There’s the last time you see a friend. There’s the last time you see your hometown. There will be a last time you talk with a friend. There will be a last for everything. Or will there be?

Things on this earth will pass and there definitely will be a last here. But, there’s another meaning for the word “last”. Last can mean the end, or last can mean endure. “Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). And this love of God is what makes us last forever. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Eternal life through Jesus is how we can live, how we can last forever. This earth will pass away and there will be a last day for it. But, we can continue living if we place our faith and trust in Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. Because of Jesus and what He has done for us, we can experience both lasts. The last breath we take on this earth brings the first breath we take in heaven, where we will last forever with Jesus. The last time we see our loved one is only on this earth. We will see them again in heaven. The last time we see our friend is only on this earth. We will see them again in heaven. But remember, for this to happen, we and all our family and friends must know Jesus. He is the only way to heaven, so one must have Him to live forever. Without Jesus, life will end on this earth for that person, and only death with last.

When was the last time you talked to your family member or friend about Jesus? What are you waiting for? This is the last day of August 2021.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, August 31, 2021