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Shepherd of the Hills Evangelical Lutheran Church
7740 W. St. Joseph Hwy.
Lansing, MI  48917
Phone: (517) 627-3913
Contact Via Email

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Thought For The Week

See Where You Are Going

I remember the time when my brother and I hiked to Lake Michigan across the dunes.  When we reached the top of the first dune we thought, “That wasn’t so bad.  Let’s keep right on going to the lake.” So we crossed the next dune, and the next, and the next.  We kept thinking, “Surely we’ll see the blue waters of Lake Michigan when we crest this next dune,” but time after time we were disappointed to see yet another dune- and not a glimpse of the lake. We started to get more than a little anxious when our trek got close to an hour, daylight started to fade, and we still had not reached the lake.

The trek through life can be like our dune trek. It wasn’t easy huffing and puffing up and down those dunes.  Life isn’t easy either. It is tiring and trying to endure troubles and hardship and suffering.  It is tougher than we imagined when we started out.  That hike across the dunes was full of worry and uncertainty and disappointment.  Life is like that too. We have doubts about whether we are going in the right direction.  We worry about whether we will get where we want to go in life.  We suffer disappointment again and again. We get frustrated and discouraged.

I think if my brother and I could have just seen the lake getting closer each time we reached the crest of a dune, instead of seeing another dune to climb, it would have made a big difference.  We would have been given hope and encouragement to keep going.  Could you use a little hope and encouragement to keep going in life?  Then look with the eyes of faith to what is ahead of you.  Look at heaven.

Heaven is not hidden behind the mountain of laundry on the floor, the pile of dishes in the sink, the stack of papers on our desk, and the dozens of other “to do” items on our daily list.  Heaven is not unseen because all we can see is our present troubles and our future challenges. Heaven is not out of sight to us because it doesn’t exist, or because we don’t deserve to live there some day because of our sins. Faith sees heaven as a real place, and sees us in that place one day; not because of anything we have done to deserve being there, but because eternal life in heaven is God’s gift to me through his Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid for our place there with his suffering and death for our sins and his resurrection to life.


Have you been looking forward to heaven?  Or have you been able to see only your sad and shameful past (even though what is sad is only temporary and what is shameful is forgiven)?  Have you been fixated only on what is bad in your life right now, and what looks difficult ahead, or do you see the big picture?  Do you see that nothing you go through in this life will keep you from perfect life in eternal glory with Jesus, because of Jesus?  Don’t get discouraged! Rather, get encouraged! See where you are going, and say with the apostle Paul: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13,14)

                                                                                                          

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP:

Sunday: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Monday: 7:00 p.m.

 

Worship Themes
Every week our service centers around a theme.  Click here to explore recent and upcoming themes.

During the month of August, we are offering a series of worship services around the theme
"A Different Way Of Looking At God And Life".

                                                                                                                                                             

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