Inheritance That Doesn't Fade

 

Have you jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet? I have. I've heard glowing testimonies of how quickly you can prepare food with this magical appliance. A friend prepared a pot roast for another friend who was convalescing, and the praise she received made me jealous. My pasta casserole to the same recipient was acknowledged with the minimum-est amount of appreciation. I inquired about the recipe for the rave-reviewed piece of meat. With the step-by-step process in hand, I was determined to make a roast that far outdid my previous roasts. (Earlier renditions of my attempts at this dish had never reached that succulent state of satisfaction that I hoped for; was it my lack of recipe, or my lack of skill?) 

I loaded the Instant Pot with great care and followed every step. When the Pot told me it was finished, I opened the lid with great expectation. How disappointing to jab the hunk of barely browned meat, and find it all intact on my fork. Nowhere near tender!

My other attempts with the Pot never quite hit the mark either- sweet potatoes too mushy, frozen chicken not done enough, apple pie filling that sprayed out of the little pressure marker on the top of the Pot... My only success to declare is making yogurt. So I guess you could say I bought a new, over-priced yogurt machine!

The Law of Diminishing Returns has proven true once again. Do you notice this happening in your life, too? The dress that was perfect in the store doesn't seem quite right after you've worn it the first time.  The vacation site that brought so much joy when you first visited, just didn't measure up the second time. Or, the excitement of a dating relationship often dissipates after the wedding. 

I did a quick study this week on the word inheritance in the Bible. Abraham was promised many descendants and a land. Moses recognized God's inheritance in the promised sanctuary. Joshua led the people into their inherited land. God often speaks of his people as his inheritance. The nations are Jesus' inheritance. As believers in Jesus, we can look forward to a heavenly inheritance. It is being prepared since the beginning of creation. It's described as glorious, a reward, it's a promise, and will never perish, spoil or fade. 

Reflecting on the word fade, reminded me of how quickly some of my possessions can lose their appeal. One of the definitions for fade in Strong's Concordance is "without loss of pristine value".          Contrary to the dimming of earthly things, our heavenly gains will not diminish in intrinsic value or in our evaluation of them.

So let's live now as "... those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. (I Corinthians 7:30-3). We'll fix our eyes on the heavenly prize, Jesus, and the amazing bundle of surprises he's preparing for us. 

Until Then

My heart can sing when I pause to remember
A heartache here is but a stepping stone
Along a path that's always winding upward
This troubled world is not my final home

But until then my heart will go on singing
Until then with joy I'll carry on
Until the day my eyes behold that city
Until the day God calls me home

The things of earth will dim and lose their value
If we recall they're borrowed for awhile
And things of earth that cause this heart to tremble
Remembered there will only bring a smile

So, until then my heart will go on singing
Until then with joy I'll carry on
Until the day my eyes behold that city
Until the day God calls me home

http://www.songlyrics.com/jason-crabb/until-then-lyrics/