Know Forever - A Devotion

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NLT)

I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

From time to time, everyone experiences the thought that there has to be more to life than this. Lack of fulfillment and disappointment create dissatisfaction which in turn cause one to ponder the true potential of human life. Where does this declaration come from? Forever was placed in your heart by God when He created you. From the time of conception as your heart began to beat, it was filled with massive potential because you were not created for the mere decades lived on earth. God created humanity as a whole to be eternal creatures. The drive and motivation for more in life has been filled with what we see and what we know which is largely unsatisfactory in light of the revelation that people were created to live in the Glory of God. What happened? Sin happened making the brief natural life a gateway to forever weeding out darkness and sin in preparation to live in the Presence of God. If you know God through Jesus Christ with the indwelling Holy Spirit, the hunger and thirst for more is driven by a spirit longing to be reunited with God. If you are sinking in the knowledge that this is all there is and then you die, I invite you to meet Jesus Christ. He will open the door to Eternity for you and reveal all the promises that will make your human potential make sense as all the circumstances of your life fall into place.

Genesis 2:15-17 (NLT)

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

The Tree of Life was intended for humanity. In the Garden of Eden, the only forbidden tree was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why? God wanted man to only know of His Goodness. He wanted to keep His People from evil completely. Death was never intended but man did not choose life. He chose death. The Tree of Life would have allowed man to live in the torment of evil forever never experiencing relief from the pain and suffering of this world. Eternal life became a threat when sin was introduced in society. God had to protect His Beloved. He had no choice. He must allow His People to experience death to be free from the restraints of evil, darkness and sin.

Genesis 3:22-23 (NLT)

Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beingshave become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

Banished from the Presence of the Lord, people began living life as we know it now. Of course, the details have changed as man makes the best of their situation but the life we were created to live is gone…at least for now. But the human heart was created with this potential. Therefore it continues to long for it despite the radical change in circumstances. Generation after generation searches for God, something more or something higher knowing there is more to life than this. Yet we are forever handicapped by sin. God had to move us out of His Presence to protect us from His Judgment. At odds with God, we struggle to be made right with Him. Our struggle is called dissatisfaction. Rich and poor struggle with it as do success and failure, nothing seems to fulfill the heart of mankind and it is not for a lack of trying. People have tried everything. As you read this, many things may come to mind that you have tried to fill the void in your soul. No matter how many people have “love” you, you still feel unloved. Despite a successful career and secure future, you still feel unstable. Even if you know exactly where you are, you still feel lost. All these disappointments add up to equal a longing to know Eternity. Looking beyond this life for something more, what will you find there?

Isaiah 43:13 (NLT)

“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”

God is in Eternity. There is a place in His Hand for you there as well.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Jesus reigns over Eternity. He is at the Right Hand of God. I wonder if we are God’s Right Hand as Jesus speaks intercession over us to the Father. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Peace will never end in Heaven. It would seem to me that if we are in God’s Right Hand and Jesus is speaking His Word over our life than it would be totally reasonable to believe that we can experience Peace on Earth when He put our faith and trust in Him. Secure in His Presence, peace can reign over our life. It’s just a thought…but yes, Jesus is in forever.

Psalm 119:159-160 (NLT)

See how I love your commandments, LORD. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.

The Word is forever. The Word of God does not die or fall silent but reverberates in Eternity. You hold the Word in your hands. It can be placed in your heart. It will satisfy your soul. The Word connects us with God and Jesus in forever. Why do we ignore it? There is a profound deafness in the Body of Christ. Blinded eyes can be made whole by focusing on His Word both in a physical and spiritual sense. His Word reveals His Heart. The Lord’s Heart is filled with overflowing love for you. Why not seek to know how He feels about you? We invest time trying to get other people to like us let alone love us. Why not give God a portion of that by reading, studying and listening to His Words?

Psalm 148:5-6 (NLT)

Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.

Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

God made a place for you in Eternity. Jesus removed the sin that held you captive by death and the grave. His Spirit gently presses your heart toward God. His Goodness and Mercy usher you through this temporary portal called life to His Real Purpose and Potential for you which is in Eternity. Goodness has always been the Lord’s intent toward humanity. However, Grace and Mercy became a requirement when sin entered our heart. God’s Grace is pursuing you. His Mercy is following you. He is chasing you for Eternity’s sake. Will you let His Love overtake you?

Isaiah 51:7-8 (NLT)

“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts.
Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”

Righteousness and salvation are forever. Why pursue things that you will leave behind in a natural death? Your material possesses will either be distributed among others or lay in utter waste when you are no longer here to maintain them. They will have no impact on Eternity. However, righteousness will. Salvation is imperative to forever. So why not invest your life seeking these two things and sharing them with others? Why pour your life into a job that will likely cast you to the wayside with a shift in the economy or when it is time for you to retire? Is a pension and a watch worth your soul? Your family is a heritage. Have you made sure that righteousness and salvation abounds in your home? These are the only two things that will accompany people into Heaven. It would seem worthwhile to make them count!

Psalm 16:10-11 (NLT)

For you will not leave my soul among the deador allow your holy oneto rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

The Lord will show you the way of life if you will only ask. He will give you a glimpse of Eternity. You can experience Heaven on earth if you commit your life to the destination and not the trip. If you do not know where you are going, you cannot plan the trip. A GPS is only as good as the final destination for without one it is useless. You must decide are you committed to the grave and this life or forever in Eternity. It sounds like a simple decision but for many it is a daily struggle. Do I invest in the 70 plus years on earth or give my heart and life to Jesus Christ? God’s Presence will bring you joy. His Glory is full of pleasures evermore but Eternity must be your chosen destination making strides to get there.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits arebeing renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

To know forever is to look at life with your sight set on Eternity. Life does not seem so important when compared to living in the Presence of God. Urgency shifts to the internal and Eternal when giving the option of dying in sin or living with the Lord forever. If you give up, you will miss fulfilling your potential and receiving the Promise of God for your life. You were created for Eternity. Will you commit your life to receiving this promise? No matter what the details of your life encompass, Eternity with God solves every problem, mends every broken heart, heals every disease and fulfills every longing. Nothing in this life can ever do that. Fix your gaze on Heaven today. Make it a point to know forever and all it entails. When all of this is gone, it will be worth it all!