Yes. I’m one of them. I will be leaving my home in the early twilight hours of Friday morning to seek out deals on electronics, Christmas presents, and sports coats. Black Friday is aptly named for the color of the sky when we leave our homes and for the color of our souls when we watch someone grab the last 60in TV from Best Buy.
For all my fellow shoppers, we must remember the words of St. Peter…
II Peter 3:10 The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Isn’t this an encouraging Bible verse as we enter the Thanksgiving season?
EVERYTHING GONNA BURN! Thanks Josh!
Today I simply want to remind us that material possessions are temporary! Our grasp on the material world ought be loose at best. Our storage units ought be in Heaven, not on earth.
- The End of Everything
In this passage we see Peter attempting to describe the end of this present world just prior to the eternal state of Heaven. He says the entire planet, along with the atmosphere above and possessions down below will be utterly eliminated by a grand fire. Just as the flood of Noah washed away the accomplishments an ancient civilization, so the fire of Peter will burn away the remnants of our modern civilization. So, knowing this, how should we then live?
II Peter 3:11-12 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
- The Point of Life
II Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
We are to be living for the future heaven and earth! We ought not be so preoccupied with our current plans that we forget to include God. We ought not be so wrapped up with temporal kingdom that we forget to advance His eternal kingdom. We ought not be so possessed by our material possessions that we forget to lay up treasure in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
If your truest treasures are stored in your closet, safe, garage, and storage unit, then you will find your heart continually drawn back to this present world. In contrast, if your truest treasures are stored up in heaven, then your heart will long to be there with your Lord.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go shopping and enjoy this crazy night. By all means – go! We might even end up wrestling over the same BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber. But it does mean we ought to keep a little perspective while out there.
Are you going shopping on Black Friday? Comment below:
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