The Forever Factor

I was recently reading Psalm 136, which repeatedly employs the phrase, “His love endures forever.” That got me thinking about the big picture that word forever implies. I’m not quite sure how a finite human mind can even begin to grasp the concept, but suffice it to say that it’s a long time … unimaginably long. With that in mind as a backdrop, I daresay most of us think very little about the future which lies somewhere out there beyond retirement. However, can any of us really afford to ignore that gaping void of eternity future which looms ahead. Let’s call it the “forever factor.” Today, I’d rather speak about this subject in more general terms rather than engage you in a long theological discussion. My observation is that life is relatively short, compared to the magnitude of eternity, so perhaps it behooves us to think and plan towards that inevitable end (or beginning). Our time here can be very distracting and often, before we know it, the years have slipped away and all that time we thought we had left has evaporated. Let us not forget, also, that we have no guarantees about that length of our earthly lives. Usually, I suppose I’m quick to draw conclusions and spout my particular brand of truth, but today I’ll just climb off my soap box and let the great eternal paradox speak for itself. So I l eave you today with food for thought and encouragement to spend some time digesting that food. Don’t take too long, though, because forever is a really long time and none of us can be sure exactly when it’s scheduled to begin.

If you have any questions or thoughts on this subject, I encourage your response. Also, Remember to include your own email address if you’d like me to respond to you. Have a great day … and may you be blessed with many more.

The Shortness of Time
We are so easily entangled
In the daily rituals of life
Wooed into marching with the others
When we hear the drum and fife
Until our time grows so congested
With commitments we have made
That they rule our private worlds
And things eternal seem to fade
We forget about our first love
The God we say we care about
We slowly nudge Him to the background
Until He's shut completely out
Wake up! What are we doing?
These things we've let monopolize
Are merely meaningless diversions
It's time we finally realize
That only the things eternal
Matter in the larger scheme
We must not let the world seduce us
With its promises and dreams
We must shake ourselves and understand
And train ourselves to see
The shortness of the time we have
And the magnitude of eternity
By Frank Carpenter ©