Together in Christ: 'Look Up to the Honest and Good' — Psalm 37:35-37

The Holy Spirit told us, along with early believers, to set our hearts, hopes, and attention on Jesus so we can lay aside sin and run the race of life with endurance and courage. ^[1] Why? One clear reason is that Jesus lived for eternal realities, not temporal and mortal fancies and rewards. Jesus put it this way:

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval." ^[2]

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep."

. . .

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." ^[3]

The pleasures, allures, and things of this world are passing away; they will not endure — only those who align themselves with God will enjoy His blessings forever. ^[4] Bottom line, then: Those people who seek the pleasures, accolades, rewards, and relationships with worldly things and worldly people will ultimately wither and die, ^[5] losing the promise of "what is mortal" being "swallowed up by life" — life with God forever. ^[6] Even those who pursue religious rewards in this life will miss out on these eternal blessings because Jesus says they have already received their reward on earth. ^[7] Jesus taught us not to try to have our treasure here on earth but to have them entrusted to the Father in His eternal security:

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

. . .

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." ^[8]

What do these verses teach us about our relationships? Looking around us, we see evil and worldly people who claim to follow Jesus flourishing. Some churches even have health and wealth preachers who teach the opposite of Jesus, saying that God wants us to be rich, happy, and blessed with worldly things. We can become discouraged and disheartened when we see misguided, selfish, abusive, greedy, evil, and dictatorial people flourishing in material happiness. Deep in our hearts, we know their time of apparent blessing will pass, and they must answer to God for their priorities. But it is hard to wait and endure and accept such apparent unfairness. We need spiritual friends who share the values of Jesus. We need heroes who pursue the Kingdom of God even though that pursuit comes at a high cost. We need to remind ourselves that evil people who are flourishing now will not flourish eternally; for the long haul of existence, their possessions and accomplishments will be as withered and gone as their dead bodies. We want friends that understand the apostle Paul when he said:

[W]hat we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ^[9]