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Jan 29, 2024 18:30pm

Something Better

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Several years ago, we were searching for property. The place we had just wasn’t big enough for the future. We knew eventually we wanted to be in the hills full time, retired, raising dogs. And the slender 2 acre property we had at the time just wasn’t going to work for that.

We searched high and low it seemed, but we just weren’t finding what we were looking for. At one point, we found a piece of property, walked a great deal on it, but it wasn’t exactly what we had in mind. But at the time, it seemed it was the only thing available. Could we make this work? Could this be the place? Deep down, we knew there had to be something better.

So we waited.

And waited.

One day, we were driving around in the hills and Shaun and I took a shortcut to our other property. It had been awhile since we had been down this road and things looked a little different.

We drove down a steep hill and noticed the old barns and fences and just the natural beauty of the land and the creek. I jokingly made the comment that “you had to be somebody special to live in a place like this”.

Shaun said “can you imagine living somewhere like this? It would be a dream.”

And right at that moment, a truck passed us. We both looked at each other in disbelief. It was the two brothers who owned that very property we were on. While that might not seem shocking to you, one brother lived in California and the other split his time in Fayetteville and Arizona. Yet, here they were, together. They stopped. We stopped. They backed up. And we rolled down the window.

Now, if you knew these guys, you would understand that what Shaun was about to say would be out of the question.

He told them about us dreaming about living in a place like this and then said, “y’all wouldn’t be interested in selling any of this, would you?”

We thought they would have laughed and said no. We fully expected a rejecting response, but what they said shocked us.

“Well, we hadn’t planned on selling any of it, but we’d consider it.”

They told us to walk around on it, see what we thought and then give them a call.

In disbelief, we drove up the hill, pulled in, parked and put on our boots. We stood at the back of the old shop and looked out and the view took our breath away.

It was something better.

Something far greater than we could have ever imagined. Something we certainly didn’t deserve.

And we knew it was home.

Luke 23:39-43

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Why didn’t Christ save Himself in that moment on the cross? The thief next to Him tempted Him. If He was really who they said He was, why didn’t He save them and be the King He claimed to be.

Because there was something better.

And the other thief on the cross knew it, too.

If Jesus wasn’t going to save Himself for this earthly kingdom, imagine what lay ahead.

The thief believed. He knew the truth about who Jesus was. He knew Jesus was part of something bigger and greater than this world could offer. And he wanted to be there too.

His faith saved him.

The death on the cross for this man was just the beginning. Jesus promised Him a place in His kingdom that very day.

There is something better. And Jesus offers you a place there, too. This world may tempt us in many ways with temporary satisfaction. But we will always be longing for something more.

But with Jesus, there’s a better day coming. Are you ready?

Have you trusted in Jesus as this man did? By faith alone. I pray you do today!