February 12 “Keep The Fork” Jeremiah 32:38-41
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina…
I have been saying, “That The Best Is Yet To Be,” for many years, because I truly believe it! We often hear the phrase, from various sources, "the best is yet to come!" Folks; God's best is yet to come, but only if we love God and we are in Christ. That might sound harsh, but beloved friends, it's true. The best is yet to come, but unlike the phrase that says 'all good things come to those who wait' regardless of the condition of the heart, the Bible says that "all things work together for good" only "to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" Are you in Christ, and are you in love with God? Then grab a hold of that promise. I believe that there are three good reasons to believe that the best is yet to be for we who love God. The first reason is that God always has the best in store for us! God is working wonders in our lives, even if we don't see them. Still, that doesn't stop Him from doing the best for us The second reason is that God won't stop in finishing what He started in us! We are all God's works-in-progress. Although we have been saved already, the process of our sanctification is a lifelong work, but we can take refuge in the fact that God never leaves His work unfinished. The third reason is that God wants to do good to us! Listen to Jeremiah Jeremiah 32:38-41, "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.'" Sonny and Sandy Trippe sent a story to me that, has truly ministered to my spirit and I want to share it with you. It is entitled, “Keep the Fork!” “A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what Scriptures she wanted read and which outfit she wanted to be buried in. Then she said, "One more thing... I want to be buried with a fork in my hand." The pastor was surprised and she must have noticed the puzzled look on his face. She explained to him, "In all my years attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably say to everyone, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie --- something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then, I want you to tell them, 'Keep your fork because the best is yet to come.'" The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he told the woman goodbye. He realized she had a better grasp of Heaven than he did because she knew something better was coming. At the funeral, when people asked him why she was holding a fork, the Pastor told them of the conversation he had with the woman before she died. He said he could not stop thinking about the fork and knew they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. "Keep the fork. The best is yet to come." Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!!!!!