Forever and Ever, Everlasting to Everlasting and Eternity runs through the prayers and lives of the patriarchs and saints in the Bible. Their lifespan was at most 100 years, but their prayers, lives, and hopes extended from eternity past to eternity future. They lived their lives in the light of eternity. They lived on Earth with the expectation of settling in eternity with God. For them, this world is not their home but it’s just a-passing through place. When compared to eternity, their difficulties, or struggles (for 10-30 years) are but for a few seconds. They lived on Earth, yet their hope was for heaven and living eternity with God. As a result, they regarded the earthly possessions or wealth as dust in comparison to living eternity with God.
Their prayers and lives were connected by the ropes of eternity. Eternity with God is the essence and hope of all the patriarchs and saints in the Bible. Their prayers reflect or describe about God from the beginning of time (Eternity past), and their requests extend into the Eternity future. They are unconcerned about the short-term temporary earthly riches because they might lose eternity with God. They make decisions based on the perspective of eternity. They are unaffected by earthly blessings and wealth. Their lives are woven with eternity fabric, and they perceive everything through the eyes of eternity. Their knowledge and wisdom about God come from an everlasting perspective, not some 100- or 200-years perspective.
Who knows, even the Old Testament prophets may have waited for Jesus’ second coming. They might not have experienced eternal blessings or riches during their lifetime, but they are never disappointed and are always filled with hope of spending eternity with God. They get hold of God’s promises and wait for them to be fulfilled, even though there are no signs of fulfilment, and they are intended for the next generation.
We see eternity clearly mentioned in David’s and Moses’s prayer. This generation has lost the perspective of spending and living eternity with God. They’ve made plans to settle on the fading earth itself, amassing wealth, and possessions. Earth is not our permanent residence. Our permanent home is in heaven spending eternity with God. Sometimes we may even go to the extent as to seek God’s help in settling on Earth. People are completely unaware or unprepared to spend eternity with God.
Start preparing to spend eternity with God from earth itself. Earth’s journey is a place where we can get a foretaste of what it will be like to spend eternity with God. God has existed for trillions of years and knowing him will surely take at least ten thousand years. Our 100 years on Earth will not be sufficient time to get to know God. On earth, we may only know 0.01% of who God IS. There is so much to know about God that even after entering eternity, there is still so much to know. Equip yourself and start preparing for eternity with God from Earth itself. Ask God to let you see every aspect of life from the perspective of eternity. Let the light of eternity shine forth in your life preparing you to spend eternity with God.
