You don’t know the first thing about what your life will be like tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.
James 4:14
An old legend tells of a merchant in Baghdad who one day sent his servant to the market. Before very long the servant returned, pale and trembling with fear. In great agitation he said to his master, "Down in the marketplace I was jostled by a man in the crowd, and when I turned around I saw it was Death. He looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master, please, lend me your horse, for I must hasten to avoid him. I will ride to Samarra and there I will hide and Death will not find me." The merchant lent him the horse, and the servant galloped away in great haste. Later the merchant went down to the market and saw Death standing in the crowd. He asked him, "Why did you frighten my servant this morning? Why did you make a threatening gesture toward him?" Death replied, "It was only a start of the surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for tonight, I have an appointment with him in Samarra!"Listen Closely: Each of us have a “Samarra” appointment. You cannot cancel the appointment. You cannot delay the appointment. You cannot escape the appointment. It’s on your Life calendar—however you do not know what day or time it’s scheduled for. So what happens? What happens to the believer, the one who has placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for their redemption? If that describes you, then it would be wise to read what is waiting for you. Read the words of the Apostle Paul, very closely:For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5Yes, we all have an appointment with Death. “It’s appointed unto man once to die, and after death, the judgement.” (Hebrews 9:27) There is no warning. There is no rescheduling. There is no delaying. There is no escape. However, there is great hope!!! Yes, hope has a name, and His name is Jesus. It is the greatest hope you can own if you’re a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ. So today, rest in that amazing hope as you wait for “Your ‘Samarra’ Appointment.”Love God. Love People. Live Sent.Be Worth Being,KevinSUBSCRIBE TO "OVER THE HUMP" DEVOTIONALKevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 42 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.
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