Life on earth is brief. But it is just the beginning of our existence. It is a mere drop in the ocean of eternity. Furthermore, the Bible says that death is not the end, it is simply a gate. A transition from mortality to immortality.
When we contemplate life, and the brevity of it, we must come to terms with the reality of our mortal status and the futility of cherishing earthly wealth. Materialism has never saved anyone from death. Whether one is wealthy or poor, death is unavoidable and inescapable.
The late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, wrote, “At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death.” He later succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. He was worth of $7 Billion at the time.
One visit to a personal care home and you become acutely aware that each elderly resident lives in a tiny room with a bed, a couple of chairs and pictures of their family. Many sit and gaze out their window as if they are just waiting to depart.
Our Days On Earth Are Numbered
We are mortals and our days on earth are numbered. History records the names and deeds of people who have had an impact upon civilization, however, most of us will be forgotten a couple of generations after we are gone. Our time on earth will be marked by no more than a stone in a cemetery, visited by a few family members or friends for a while, and then eventually left to the elements to weather and fade.
The Psalmist wrote, “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” (Psalm 39:4). And Psalm 103:15-16 says, “The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” Life is short.
The finitude of life is a reality that a great many people would rather avoid than confront. Death is perceived as the end for the majority of society and a life well lived is considered the epitome of existence. Generation follows generation, building earthly kingdoms, businesses and wealth that lacks permanency.
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).
We have an allotted span of time on earth to respond to God’s calling upon us. To surrender the throne of our hearts to Jesus Christ. And when we do, we are given the promise of eternal life. When Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 9:27-28, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”
Our mortality places parameters on our lives that can’t be broken. When God calls us home, no physician can prolong our life and no one can shorten their life before God allows it. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to live our lives in a manner that bears fruit that can transcend mortality as a fragrant offering to our Creator when we meet Him face to face.
Contemplate The Things Of God
Everyone has an opportunity to contemplate the things of God. We are provided a window in time to question the hidden mysteries of who God is. God will never coerce us nor will He force anyone to believe. He leaves it up to us but He doesn’t leave us uninformed.
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus wasn’t talking about an exit, He was talking about an entrance. He wasn’t teaching about an end. He was teaching about a beginning.
Our physical lives are but a drop in an ocean of eternity. Eternal life awaits all who surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In fact, we were created to have an eternal relationship with our Creator. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
God is eternal and His kingdom is eternal. If He wasn’t eternal He could never offer eternal life to anyone. If He wasn’t eternal, He wouldn’t be God. God’s throne is a perpetual throne. An everlasting throne. It will outlast even the heavens and the earth.
Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35). And Isaiah 34:4-12 tells us, “All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.”
In John’s vision in Revelation 6:14, he writes, “The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” But believers will outlast all of it because of Christ. Scripture says we are heirs with Christ and will reign with Him.
Romans 8:16-17 offers the proclamation, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are God’s children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if we indeed share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
Ephesians 2:6-7 teaches us, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
In his poem, “Ode: Intimations of mortality,” William Wordsworth describes how the innocence of youth is lost as we grow up and our connection with our Creator is forgotten. In our youth, we long to be adults and as we age we lament the loss of our youth. And even though we can still appreciate the beauty of a rainbow, a rose, or the moon, our perspective is burdened by the mire of adulthood.
And then, in a flash, its over. It seems that one day you are waiting to be picked up by a school bus and the next you are being loaded into a hearse and the span of time in between those two milestones is something that cannot be saved for the future.
Time Is Of The Essence
Time is of the essence. We often feel rushed and think there isn’t enough time in a day to do everything we want to do. But how much time do we take each day to build a relationship with Jesus Christ? Time is so precious that we ought to sacrifice a portion of ours to God every day. How can we expect to spend eternity with a God we don’t want to spend time with now?
The Apostle Paul admonishes us to understand the present time in Romans 13:11, “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Don’t let time slip away!
In 2 Corinthians 6:2 Paul declares, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” And in Hebrews 3:15 we read, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Seize the moment and surrender completely to Christ because we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Invest your time wisely. Build eternal equity and do not squander your inheritance through unwise temporal pursuits. God is calling you to come to the ocean. Head for the beach today. James 4:14 asks, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” It is a mist that will be condensed into a mere drop of water…. in the ocean of eternity.
