He Hangeth the Earth on Nothing

I usually arrive home from work between 11:30pm and 4:30am, based on how much overtime I do on a given night. I really like coming home on clear nights, looking up into the heavens for a while and talking with the Lord before going inside. Like all who love the Lord Jesus, I strive to stay in a state of continuous fellowship with him, but there's something about a clear, star-filled night that's special. I don't worship the host of heaven, of course, but when you look up there, you realize just how incredibally awesome God is and how seemingly insignificant we are. (I say "seemingly" because God made us in his image and sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins when we were altogether contrary.) In fact, all that we see; the mountains, oceans, planets, even the hundreds of billions of galaxies spread out as far as our technology will permit us to see (the farthest being so red-shifted as to suggest that they're fleeing from us at nearly the speed of light) are a mere "blip" in the ocean of eternity. Isaiah 57:15 declares "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Time is as nothing with God and when we enter eternity, time will be as nothing to us. Our mind cannot even begin to comprehend such "deep things of God" In this physical realm that we live, everything has a beginning, goes through a cycle of maturity, and then perishes. I Peter 1:24-25 states "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." The more that you think on just how awesome God is and just how great a salvation we have, you begin to understand just how insignificant most of the things of this life really are. We get totally occupied with this life, bedazzled by the latest technology, obesessed by sports teams, plotting to secure material goods, and engrossed in our careers. We work our entire lives so that we can retire, grow old, end up in a nursing home where our survival is dependant upon people working insane hours at insufficient wages, and eventually die. (That's your positive thinking quote for the day.) If the world is merely a blip in the ocean of eternity, your life is merely a blip in the blip. And when that blip ends, the only thing that will matter is "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" From this day forward, you are only going to get older and older. (well Duh!) NOTHING in this world is more important than where you spend eternity. If you know Jesus as your Savior you can look forward to that day that "will" come sooner or later, when you leave this world and go to be with the Lord. Forever in his kingdom where nothing offends and no sorrow can enter. Where you never have to say goodbye and you'll never have to be alone. Where tears never fall and pain is a distant (very distant) memory. If you have never been born again, I would urge you to give your heart to Jesus now. If you're born again and know it, get your affections on things above. The more that you think on the world to come, the less that things in this life will "get to you" and the better your testimony will be. (Not to mention how much more joy and peace you'll have.) We serve a God who is so incredibally awesome that mortal words can't even begin to give him all of the honor and praise that he is worthy of. We can never thank him enough for saving us from eternal death, but we can certainly praise him forever in a world that will never end.