Issue #1,151- Here Be Dragons – May 9, 2023
This morning’s issue is a repeat. Several people have requested it, so I thought it was time to rerun it.
I found this photo of a beautifully crafted “dragon egg” in the catalogue of an auction house. It weighed just over 1300 grams (8.25 pounds) and was carved from Auralite.
Auralite is a semi-precious gem found only in Canada. More specifically, it is only found in one mine near Thunder Bay, Ontario. Auralite is a form of amethyst combined with several other minerals.
The limited location makes this gemstone far rarer than diamonds. Actually, diamonds are relatively common stones. The market is artificially held up by supply control and heavy marketing, but that is a topic for another day. Many “semi-precious” gems are far rarer than diamonds.
Being mythical, no one knows what dragon’s eggs actually look like. Still, an 8-pound polished purple gem is as good a representation as any.
When I saw the egg, I thought, “Here there be dragons.” That, along with the phrase “Here there be monsters,” are often found on ancient maps along with depictions of fanciful monsters, beasts and dragons.
The ancient cartographers (map makers) had limited knowledge of the world. That meant much of a map might be empty. The uncharted territory was dangerous, and imaginations could fill in the gaps with monsters of all sorts.
Even in today’s world, the unknown is often scary. The unknown or the dark can hold many forms of danger, and our imaginations can sometimes run amok. For example, walking in dark woods at night brings out fear in some people. They can imagine all sorts of monsters in the dark, and every sound seems magnified and dangerous. The anxiety builds on itself.
For many in our culture, the great unknown to fear is death. We go to great lengths to prolong life. We sanitize death and, as much as possible, avoid dealing with it or discussing it.
We don’t even like to say the words die or death. Our culture has many euphemisms to avoid the dreaded “d” word.
What happens after we die? Some people maintain that existence is simply snuffed out. We live a few short years, and then we are no more.
Some believe that everyone goes to some form of heaven, although the place’s name varies from faith to faith. Others believe that good people go to eternal rewards and bad people go to punishment.
Some groups believe in cosmic do-overs. When you die, you return and keep repeating the cycle until you reach perfection.
Many faiths and world views have differing perspectives on the issue.
The Bible is clear on the subject. Those who humbly submit to Christ by faith alone go to glory with Him forevermore. Those who reject Him go to eternal separation from Him in hell.
We need not fear death. Everyone dies. It is a part of life. I don’t worry about what will happen to me after I die. I do have some preferences about how and when that will happen. Still, I know God is sovereign; however, whenever He calls me home, it will bring Him glory.
Rather than fearing death, non-believers should fear facing the wrath of a perfectly Holy and Righteous God. There will be an accounting for all of our lives, but the sin of believers has been atoned for.
Many Bible verses attest to these facts, far too many to include in a short post.
What I do want to do here, though, is to offer the prospect of a different future to those who are not believers. Come to Christ, and you have nothing to fear. Eternal damnation can be replaced by endless celebration.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
You don’t have to get your act all cleaned up. You can’t work hard enough to impress God. Humble yourself, confess your sin and accept the gracious gift Christ offers all who will believe.
Life after death can be a beautiful thing, or it can be filled with dragons and monsters. Which way will you go?
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.
Did you know that we have an email version? Same great content but in a different format. Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/ gleanings-1
_____________
We also have a website
https://gleaningsfromtheword.com
______________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________
#Gleanings #theWord #devotional #gospel #death #encouragement #Biblestudy #faith #dailyBible #verseoftheday #grace #KevinCorbin #god #life #Jesus #faith #GleaningsFromTheword #bible #christian #love #Christ #Father #dragons #monsters #auralight #dragonsEgg #ephesians2 #death #life #judgment