Read 1 John 2:12–23
Imagine this: You’ve been saving money for years, jumping around from one apartment to the next, longing for the day you can finally buy a house. You find one that’s perfect for you and the price is right, and after years of dreaming, you finally get to sign the papers and receive the keys for your very own home. It’s one of the most exciting days of your life! You’ll finally get to settle in. Much of your life will become easier and less complicated, because you can finally organize your life in the way that’s best for you in your own house.
You lived in bliss for months, maybe even a few years. Life really did seem to get easier after you moved in and set everything exactly the way you wanted it. Then, things started to change. Some of the wiring in the house started to short out. Your roof developed a few leaks. Suddenly, the house is the source of your problems instead of the solution to them. And then, your father has a stroke and you recognize that even if your house was in perfect shape, there isn’t anything it could do to change your father’s condition.
You may not have to imagine what this is like, because you’ve probably lived it—or something like it. And despite how often you’re confronted with how little power the things in the world have to truly change your life, you still get your hopes up about how the next thing you find is going to solve all your problems. We all do. But John reminds us here that “the world with its lust is passing away.” God and his Word will last eternally, far beyond the temporary things we find around us. And those of us who follow Him get to exist in relationship with Him forever. While we’re living this life, we should take care of our homes and possessions, and appreciate the things we have. But they shouldn’t be the foundation we build on. God alone can provide what we need for eternity.
Begin praying with Psalm 90:1–2:
“Lord, you have been our refuge
in every generation.
Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity, you are God.”