“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matt. 25:34)
Where does the Mississippi River—part of the largest drainage system of the North American continent—begin? In 1820 an expedition led by General Lewis Cass named Cass Lake as the source of the Mississippi. However, in 1832 Henry Schoolcraft, who had been part of the Cass expedition, named Lake Itasca, farther north than Cass Lake, as the Mississippi’s true headwater. It is said that Schoolcraft coined the name Itasca from the Latin words veritas caput, meaning “true head.” This was the true source of this mighty river.
What is the true source of our motivation to serve God? It is God’s love for us, from the time He planned our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus and continuing in our lives in His heavenly kingdom, moving us to do whatever we can to please Him. Knowing that we will spend eternity with Him makes us ask, “What can we do today to fulfill His plan for our lives and for the lives of others?”
We can start by checking the attitude of our hearts. The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:3–6 that our heavenly hope results in an outpouring of faith and love during our earthly life. Ask God to help you realize your future hope on a daily basis so you can be transformed in your attitudes and actions by seeing the end from the beginning.
Share with others your hope for eternal life.
Paul Zinter serves as a substitute teacher. He enjoys writing, bread making, and teaching at his local church.
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
