October 16, 2012

Eternal life




Every Fall, nature reminds me that grass, trees and flowers last for a season. Some will return to life in the spring, but not all and even those will eventually die. Life has limits. All of it is temporary, except that which God has touched for eternity.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Anything that emanates from God is eternal because He is eternal. As creatures living in time, we try to put the concept of eternity on a line, trying to imagine no beginning or end to that line. However, a better way to describe eternity is that past, present and future are all now. That is, God does not live on a line or continuum or even a circle, but in all of it. For Him, everything is current. 

Immediately my imagination is challenged. There are no parallels for this. What happened yesterday is now; what happens tomorrow is now? I cannot wrap my mind around it. 

As eternity relates to this verse, the Word of God is like that. What He said is always now. That means the commands are always current; the promises He makes never become obsolete. This makes His Word my anchor, my stability in a reckless and dying world.

Today’s devotional reading adds a new thought. It says that the Word of God becomes keener, sharper, fresher the more it is used. While it could never become stale, His Word could be compared to water in a stream. Water that stops flowing gets stagnant. Only the water that rushes over rocks and falls, that keeps moving, retains its freshness. This is true of God’s Word. The more it is allowed to move in my heart, the more my heart is blessed. 

This is because His words never run out, run dry, or become obsolete. They are eternal. Break off a chunk and another is there. Feed on a piece and more is ready for the next feeding. The more that I read and study it, the more His Word blesses and restores my soul. It is indeed the Bread of Life, the Water of Life. It is also my connection with the eternal God.

All this could be said of the Living Word as well. Jesus, the very revelation of God in word and deed, will stand forever. He is eternal for He is also the expression of God in human (rather than written) shape. When my heart feasts on Him and is refreshed by Him, He is not diminished. Even more awaits me, more grace, more understanding, more blessing, more light. I cannot deplete Him because He is my life, my eternal life and my connection with the Father, my eternal God.


These are lofty thoughts. God, You continually lift me above my ordinary days and set my heart in heavenly places, in eternity. As I gaze at the yellows and oranges outside, and watch the falling leaves, I am reminded that this is not all there is. Life will wind down, but because of Your touch I am being made ready for eternity.

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