Monday, November 22, 2021

Eternity from an Earthly Point of View

 

Monday, November 22, 2021

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!  I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.  You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.  Psalm 63:1-8

I don’t know how this plays out in your mind, but, for me, thoughts of eternity are the ultimate “WOW” moment.  My little earthly brain cannot conceive of the eternal.  Even now, after writing that little sentence I can feel the throbbing building up behind my eyebrows. 

There are several reasons for this; chief among the factors is my tendency to dwell on the here and now, rather than eternal.  Now, that’s not aw-shucks humility; it’s simply human nature.  We humans trust much more in what we can see, than that which requires faith.  Just entertaining even the idea of God is too immense and overpowering to hold in perspective.  David wrote that he would lie awake entire nights dwelling on thoughts of God, while his soul reminded him how parched he was longing for the presence of the Sovereign Lord.

The other driving fact (for me) that eternity is above my pay grade is that Scripture tells me God has created me with eternity in mind.  That which rolls around my insides like an indwelling combination of thoughts, platelets, sinew, bone, and fleshly organs, is an eternal soul, created by the Almighty, with the purpose of eternal fellowship and joy…with He who is eternal and sovereign.  Beloved, if that does not start a holy revival fire of praise and thanksgiving in your soul, your worship-wood is wet!

Saving the best for last, David writes that God’s ultimate strength[1] is reserved for holding us close to Him.

What a delight!

For You Today

Many philosophers, pundits, and seekers contemplate eternity as if there is an unknowable pathway to successfully navigating some unknowable purpose.  But David, the poet, king, and man after God’s own heart put it right in the middle of this Psalm:

Your unfailing love is better than life itself;

Want a leg-up on figuring out why God put you on this planet?  Learn to sing from under the shadow of His wings…it’s the place of unfailing, unending love!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and Other Images:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©   

For another post on this text see Protected - November 9, 2020



[1] In ancient times the right (sword) hand was considered the strongest, most important of a warrior’s tools

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