Category: Heaven, eternity and glory

  • Mountain Time – thoughts on stewardship

    A cliff face in Manning Park near Skagit Valley Trail - some thoughts on stewardship

    Late last week, we took a road trip to Manning Park for a walk along the Skagit River Trail. We needed some fresh air, some mountain time, and a touch of snow (but not on our streets or driveway). It’s just over an hour’s drive away, so it’s relatively handy.

    I find that when I get out in nature, it often clears my head (as well as my lungs) and helps me “see and hear” God more easily. I took this shot of a nearby cliff face from where we parked. Even through the haze, it’s beautiful.

    That mountain has stood there for a long time. It looks as if it will still stand there for a long time. Yet the face is slowly changing. Erosion and rockslides are subtly recarving the face. We live in an area prone to earthquakes and with active volcanoes; either could totally transform the mountain.

    Even the things we consider rock solid don’t last forever. We live in a broken world that is destined for destruction. The day will come when even the mountains and the oceans will burn up.

    “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”  2 Peter 3:10

    If everything will be destroyed, why bother trying to preserve any of it? Humankind was put on this little blue planet, third from the sun, to steward it.

    And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 

    “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15

    We have been appointed to a God-given task to steward a part of His kingdom. Its eventual disposition is in the hands of the owner, but in the interim, we manage it until His return. 

    I’m reminded of the parable of the talents (or minas) where the master gives the servants responsibility for a certain sum, and there is an accounting when he returns. (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27)

    How well will we fare when the master returns and we face a review of our stewardship? Not well in general.

    I’m not suggesting we all become earth worshippers; that’s a sin. Simply that we could all make small changes to be better stewards.

    What are your thoughts? Have you ever compared our stewardship to those parables before?

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Getting older and the hope of glory

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    All contents, “Gleanings From the Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2026 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, “Gleanings From the Word.”

    Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved

    From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

    # Right Belief Must Become Right Living

  • Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    four crows on a tree branch

    Today, I saw a murder of crows in the tree. In case you don’t know, a murder is the formal name for a gathering of crows.

    Seeing the crows brought murder to mind. I started to think about all the murder mysteries I have watched and read over the years. They all had something in common, besides the body. In all of them, as far as I can remember, the victim was unable to prevent his own murder.

    There is one murder, however, that I know of, where the victim willingly submitted to being murdered for a greater cause. I’m Speaking of course, of the murder of Jesus, planned by the Jewish leaders, and carried out by the Roman rulers.

    The Jewish leaders perceived Jesus as a threat, and when they could not discredit him, they planned to kill him. They used Pontius Pilate to have him crucified, a most ignominious death.

    Let’s set the scene, before Jesus was taken to Pilate, one of his disciples betrays him and shows up at the Garden of Gethsemane with troops to arrest him

    Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:50-56 ESV

    Jesus willingly goes with them and submits to being convicted in a kangaroo court on completely fabricated charges. He is mocked, rejected, tortured, and eventually killed on the cross.

    Why would the God of the universe permit himself such indignities? Because he loves us. He humbled himself, set aside his rights, and came to earth to die.

    “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8 ESV

    If that thought doesn’t amaze you, you need to stop and think about what he has done for you.

    Praise God for all his mercies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    For the Birds – God’s provision
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear