A Dose of Eternity

It's the last day of 2012. God has been good every day this year and good in ways that go far beyond material blessings. Worry still creeps in tempting me to doubt His steadfast love, but by His grace, I am determined to remember past Ebenezers, trust Providence for the present, and look forward to eternity.

Life is very different from what I imagined it would be. In some ways it is harder and in other ways so much better. But if Christ died to only give us our "best life now", we would be the most pitiful people on earth so I ain't buying what you're selling,  Mr. Osteen. (1. Cor. 15:19) Because of the gospel, we have something awaiting us that will more than make up for every earthly loss. So Ms. Worry, here's a good dose of eternity to send you packing:

They don't sing, "You are worthy to open the scroll, because you always gave your children everything they ever asked for. You gave them nice houses and good jobs; you gave them good children, and great vacations; you gave them career success and material ease; you gave them the appreciation of peers and predictability of schedule; you gave them physical strength and freedom from disease." Now, to the degree that God has given any of us those things, it is right to praise him. But in this majestic moment, when the twenty-four beings around the throne are holding the prayers of the saints and looking back, those are not the things that flood their minds.

The overwhelming theme of their song of praise to the Lamb is this: "You are worthy to open the scroll because you did it. You shed your precious blood so that you could purchase the redemption of people from every tribe, language, and nation. And you made them a kingdom of priests, to reign with you forever. You won! You defeated sin! You gave them freedom  from the one things they could never escape! You broke the power and dominion of darkness! Before the foundations of creation were laid down, you devised a plan, and you executed every detail of it. You harnessed nature and exercised authority over every single thing in human history with one goal in mind, the salvation of your people. You did it! You saved each one of your children from sin!"

From the perspective of the completed story, this overwhelming fact dominates their praise: the success of redemption. In eternity, many of the things that seem to matter so much don't matter anymore. The size and luxury of your house doesn't matter anymore. Your physical strength or beauty doesn't matter anymore. Family vacations, cars, clothes, and bank accounts do not matter anymore.

Redemption is what matters...

Do you live with both eyes on the present, all too aware of how much better this moment could be and too frequently wondering why God doesn't provide you with some relief? Or, are you magnetized by eternity? Can you see it in the distance and so keep marching forward? Yes, you still feel that pain that leaves you tired and discouraged, but you really believe that everything you are going through now will seem insignificant on the other side. What shapes your response to your midlife struggles - your dreams of what it could be like now, or God's promises of what it will be like then?

God is going to wipe your final tear, and you won't have to journey anymore. The only reason to stay on the pathway is that someday it will end, and in the cool shadows of the Lord's tent you will rest forever. If all that you are facing now didn't have a then, then nothing you do, no matter who successful or comfortable, would be worth anything anyway. God lets you look into then, so that as you face the trials of now you will have hope that is stronger than your disappointments, encouragement that overwhelms your regret, an,d a dream to motivate you that is better than any dream you could have conjured up for yourself.

Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God, Paul David Tripp, Shepherd Press, 2004, pp. 305, 313-315.