And this world is fading away,
1 John 2:17
along with everything that people crave.
But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
This life is not all there is. We were made by God, in His image to live for eternity.
The Bible says that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
We will therefore never be satisfied with anything this world offers or gives– all those things are fading away.
I don’t often stop to think about when Jesus will return – how majestic and glorious it will be. How He will separate those who love Him from those who chose not to. Jesus speaks of His own return in Matthew:
The Final Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man[a] comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Matthew 25:31-46
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[c] you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[d] 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Reading this passage today really convicted me and led me to ask myself a number of questions:
How often do I consider eternity?
How can I be more aware that what I see is not all there is?
How can I always remember ‘there is more?’
How would a view of eternity change how I live? What I value? Where I focus?
Lord, today was another convicting day. How often do I think about eternity? How often do I meditate on your glorious return with all the Angels? Lord help me to number my days. Help me to be fervrent in what You have put me here on earth to do. Help me to make the most of every opportunity and to long for eternity spent with You.
