Made with Eternity in Mind

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” (Psalm 33:20-21 NIV).

At the risk of sounding pessimistic (I’m not trying to get your day off to a bad start, really), life at times is tough. In fact, if this life is all there is, Solomon was right when he wrote, “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NLT).

Now that is good advice as long as we keep it in proper perspective. I do believe God desires us to have fun, and I do believe that He graciously gives us those times of refreshment as we need them. But I also know that sometimes life is hard work. That is the result of the fall. In this life we struggle and suffer and eventually die. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV). Or, as The Message puts it, “If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot.” But our hope is not only for this life. The Bible says, “11 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.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 Nlt–emphasis mine).

We were not made for this temporary fallen existence. We were not made for death, we were made for life. The rebellion of Adam brought death. The obedience of Christ brings life. It may be tough at times but, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” Hang in there dear friend. This life is just the beginning.