Revelation 11:19 – Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. (NIV)

My wife Evelyn and I recently went to see Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Tennessee Theater here in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. I had forgotten what a wonderful film it is. To watch it once again on a big screen was very enjoyable and a great way to unwind after a long and arduous week. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones has always been one of my favourite movie characters, so I enjoyed the whole event.

The movie never stops or slows down — there's always something going on. I remember talking to my dad about it years ago, and he said that the movie reminded him of the cliffhanger films that he had seen as a child. I agreed. The movie has aged well. In the audience, there were lots of people who had never seen it. They were just as enthralled as I was. It was a terrific movie theater experience.

The story is all about a race between rivals who are looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments etched on the original stone tablets, as well as Aaron's rod which he used to impress Pharaoh. For centuries, the Israelites used to carry it wherever they were, even into battle. At some point, the Ark became lost and archaeologists have been looking for its whereabouts ever since.

However, the Book of Revelation tells us that the Ark is no longer on earth. According to today's Scripture verse, it resides in God's heavenly temple. Searching for the Ark may make the basis for a great Spielberg movie, but it's a futile endeavour. God has it, and we won't see it again until the end of time when heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant is once more revealed.

As human beings, we can spend our lives looking for things in all of the wrong places. We can follow our own path and make our own way, only to realize that it leads to a dead end in this life. We can ignore God's guidance and end up nowhere. Or we can follow Christ and discover a relationship with God that not only gives us faith, hope, and love in this life, but endures forever in heaven. Now that's a treasure worth finding, a discovery worth seeking.

Question: What am I looking for in life? Is this what God wants me to seek?

Prayer: Lord God, help us to focus on the things that You want us to experience and accomplish. Keep us from going down the wrong path. Lead us to Your eternal kingdom. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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