What’s Left at the End?

I have often thought about the man from the Old Testament who is named Job. He loses everything in one day and his response is not anger, bitterness, or despair. His response reveals where his heart is. “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job knew that everything he had was a gift from God and that he was not going to be able to keep it forever. Even though he was probably the richest person of his day, his true riches came from his relationship with God. I heard a twist on Job’s words today, “When we come into the world, we have nothing. Then we spend all our time trying to gain everything. Then we leave the world with nothing. I just hope your soul hangs onto more than your hands do!” It is opposite to the monkeys that are caught in Africa. Where am I going with that, you might ask? Well, to catch the monkeys, the natives would carve out a hollow in a tree or dirt mound. They would leave an opening just big enough for the monkey to fit his hands in. Then they would put some food in the hollowed area. The monkey sticks his hand in, grabs the food, but then can’t remove the fist through the tight hole. Unwilling to let go of the food, the natives are able to easily capture the monkey. Using that concept, those that are grabbing what they can in the world are unwilling to let it go. The very act of hanging onto the world and not simply trusting God for our “daily food”, imprisons us. Hold on to the blessings found in the world with a loose grip, so that if we should lose it, our lives won’t be up ended. Hang on tightly to the things from God like love, joy, hope, faith, forgiveness, eternal life, etc. When we lose sight of God and the hope He brings us through His Spirit and His Word, we are also in danger of losing everything, including eternity with God. How tightly are you holding on to your finances, your possessions, your power and influence? Are they really worth dying for... or should I say dying without? As we read in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Father, may my heart always hunger and long for You, my rock and my salvation. Amen