From the book “Truth For Today: A Daily Touch of God’s Grace” by John F. MacArthur

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. - Philippians 1:23

Every Christian ought to feel the strain of desiring to be with Christ, yet also longing to build His church. If the Lord said to me, “You have five minutes to choose between being in heaven or on earth,” I would have a difficult time making that decision. And I would want to be sure I was choosing for the right reasons. I’d have to ask myself, can I glorify Christ more in heaven or on earth?

Paul found it an impossible choice. Nevertheless, most people would choose to stay on earth. When asked why they would, most would give some selfish reason, such as, “We’re getting a new house,” or “I don’t want to leave my kids.” For Paul, nothing really mattered except glorifying Christ. When faced with the most basic of life’s issues—whether it would be better to live or die—his response was, “I would be thrilled to glorify Christ in heaven or on earth. Given the choice, I can’t choose.” Because glorifying Christ was Paul’s motivation, where he glorified Christ was not the issue. That ought to be true for you as well.

Transcript is originally taken from the book and for preview purposes only. Please don’t cut and paste. Subject to copyright.

Our devotion comes from the book:

Truth For Today: A Daily Touch of God’s Grace by John F. MacArthur

Be prepared to be encouraged, challenged, energized, and changed as John MacArthur offers seasoned wisdom on different passages of Scripture. Perfect for daily readings, Truth for Today is a unique gift book destined to be a treasured classic for years to come.

You may buy your copy at Amazon: https://amz.run/4i4s