It is intriguing that we human beings find great comfort in our knowledge of our present condition, yet know very little of our end. Confidently, most of us walk in our present path, standing on the lessons learned from previous generations. Those who have gone on before us have been where we are, they have left us a detailed understanding of our present condition. Not only do we learn from our predecessors, we learn from our own personal experiences.
Yes, in the game of life, a great deal of self-assurance and confidence is garnered when we dwell in oft traveled lands. However, we are much less self-assured and confident when we travel in new pastures. In such cases, we are immediately inspired to seek out help from those who have been in our current location. The point? Humans do not like to enter alone into untraveled lands.
From the beginning of time, human beings have religiously sought to obtain and maintain control in this life. When we enter into circumstances that are unfamiliar to us, we are robbed of such control and are left to feel helpless in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty. In such cases we come face to face with one of the great lessons of life, human beings can neither determine nor control the rules of this world.
For the Christian, such a potent observation is not very unsettling. For, he knows the One who has established the rules, and has the assurance that if he lives within God's rules he will spend eternity with Him. Yet, in light of this comforting thought an unsettling question arises, how are we to understand eternity? Eternity is the one thing that the human mind cannot comprehend. Eternity, like the pasture mentioned above, is a land in which we have never been. Unlike our current life, eternity is a reality that we cannot fully experience in this life, it is a destination that is a great mystery to us. But this is unsettling, how can we enter with confidence into such a unknown land? How can we live with assurance about a reality of which we have no knowledge?
For a long time, this thought consumed me? Christian history has offered great assurance and good reason to believe in Christ and His promises. Furthermore, I have experienced His faithfulness in my life's journey. However, the great end of this journey has remained a mystery, I have been called to pursue a destination of which is foreign to me. Is this new? Has God ever called someone to engage a journey of which the destination remained a mystery? Yes, He has. The man's name was Abraham, he is our predecessor. God called Abraham to pursue an undisclosed destination. Abraham set out believing that God was good and would provide his need, even though he had no knowledge of how this journey would conclude. What if the conclusion would find him falling into the hands of a large group of slave traders, or bandits? How would he be sure that this promised destination would live up to promised expectations? While God's faithfulness provided good reason, Abraham did not have a guarantee. Abraham had to step out in faith and believe that this same God, who had been faithful would continue to be faithful.
How can we be sure that eternity with Christ will offer the peace and fulfillment for which we have longed? We can be sure, because the God who lavished His grace and blessing over the life of Abraham and his descendents, is the same God who calls us to journey to a land to which He is leading us. We do not know what this land looks like, what it will feel like. Unlike the 12 spies in Numbers 13, our eyes cannot assure us that there are adequate provisions, or that the land is inhabitable. However, we have have the promise of a God who has never broken His word, and who has continually lavished His grace and blessing upon His people. Though I may not understand or comprehend it, this promised land that I pursue is a good place. It has been prepared by the God of Abraham, and I know that He is a remarkably good God. While I may have many questions, I have no reason to fear, I am in the hands of God, and in His hands I am well kept.
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Friday, February 17, 2012
The Mystery of Eternity
It is intriguing that we human beings find great comfort in our knowledge of our present condition, yet know very little of our end. Confidently, most of us walk in our present path, standing on the lessons learned from previous generations. Those who have gone on before us have been where we are, they have left us a detailed understanding of our present condition. Not only do we learn from our predecessors, we learn from our own personal experiences.
Yes, in the game of life, a great deal of self-assurance and confidence is garnered when we dwell in oft traveled lands. However, we are much less self-assured and confident when we travel in new pastures. In such cases, we are immediately inspired to seek out help from those who have been in our current location. The point? Humans do not like to enter alone into untraveled lands.
From the beginning of time, human beings have religiously sought to obtain and maintain control in this life. When we enter into circumstances that are unfamiliar to us, we are robbed of such control and are left to feel helpless in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty. In such cases we come face to face with one of the great lessons of life, human beings can neither determine nor control the rules of this world.
For the Christian, such a potent observation is not very unsettling. For, he knows the One who has established the rules, and has the assurance that if he lives within God's rules he will spend eternity with Him. Yet, in light of this comforting thought an unsettling question arises, how are we to understand eternity? Eternity is the one thing that the human mind cannot comprehend. Eternity, like the pasture mentioned above, is a land in which we have never been. Unlike our current life, eternity is a reality that we cannot fully experience in this life, it is a destination that is a great mystery to us. But this is unsettling, how can we enter with confidence into such a unknown land? How can we live with assurance about a reality of which we have no knowledge?
For a long time, this thought consumed me? Christian history has offered great assurance and good reason to believe in Christ and His promises. Furthermore, I have experienced His faithfulness in my life's journey. However, the great end of this journey has remained a mystery, I have been called to pursue a destination of which is foreign to me. Is this new? Has God ever called someone to engage a journey of which the destination remained a mystery? Yes, He has. The man's name was Abraham, he is our predecessor. God called Abraham to pursue an undisclosed destination. Abraham set out believing that God was good and would provide his need, even though he had no knowledge of how this journey would conclude. What if the conclusion would find him falling into the hands of a large group of slave traders, or bandits? How would he be sure that this promised destination would live up to promised expectations? While God's faithfulness provided good reason, Abraham did not have a guarantee. Abraham had to step out in faith and believe that this same God, who had been faithful would continue to be faithful.
How can we be sure that eternity with Christ will offer the peace and fulfillment for which we have longed? We can be sure, because the God who lavished His grace and blessing over the life of Abraham and his descendents, is the same God who calls us to journey to a land to which He is leading us. We do not know what this land looks like, what it will feel like. Unlike the 12 spies in Numbers 13, our eyes cannot assure us that there are adequate provisions, or that the land is inhabitable. However, we have have the promise of a God who has never broken His word, and who has continually lavished His grace and blessing upon His people. Though I may not understand or comprehend it, this promised land that I pursue is a good place. It has been prepared by the God of Abraham, and I know that He is a remarkably good God. While I may have many questions, I have no reason to fear, I am in the hands of God, and in His hands I am well kept.
Yes, in the game of life, a great deal of self-assurance and confidence is garnered when we dwell in oft traveled lands. However, we are much less self-assured and confident when we travel in new pastures. In such cases, we are immediately inspired to seek out help from those who have been in our current location. The point? Humans do not like to enter alone into untraveled lands.
From the beginning of time, human beings have religiously sought to obtain and maintain control in this life. When we enter into circumstances that are unfamiliar to us, we are robbed of such control and are left to feel helpless in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty. In such cases we come face to face with one of the great lessons of life, human beings can neither determine nor control the rules of this world.
For the Christian, such a potent observation is not very unsettling. For, he knows the One who has established the rules, and has the assurance that if he lives within God's rules he will spend eternity with Him. Yet, in light of this comforting thought an unsettling question arises, how are we to understand eternity? Eternity is the one thing that the human mind cannot comprehend. Eternity, like the pasture mentioned above, is a land in which we have never been. Unlike our current life, eternity is a reality that we cannot fully experience in this life, it is a destination that is a great mystery to us. But this is unsettling, how can we enter with confidence into such a unknown land? How can we live with assurance about a reality of which we have no knowledge?
For a long time, this thought consumed me? Christian history has offered great assurance and good reason to believe in Christ and His promises. Furthermore, I have experienced His faithfulness in my life's journey. However, the great end of this journey has remained a mystery, I have been called to pursue a destination of which is foreign to me. Is this new? Has God ever called someone to engage a journey of which the destination remained a mystery? Yes, He has. The man's name was Abraham, he is our predecessor. God called Abraham to pursue an undisclosed destination. Abraham set out believing that God was good and would provide his need, even though he had no knowledge of how this journey would conclude. What if the conclusion would find him falling into the hands of a large group of slave traders, or bandits? How would he be sure that this promised destination would live up to promised expectations? While God's faithfulness provided good reason, Abraham did not have a guarantee. Abraham had to step out in faith and believe that this same God, who had been faithful would continue to be faithful.
How can we be sure that eternity with Christ will offer the peace and fulfillment for which we have longed? We can be sure, because the God who lavished His grace and blessing over the life of Abraham and his descendents, is the same God who calls us to journey to a land to which He is leading us. We do not know what this land looks like, what it will feel like. Unlike the 12 spies in Numbers 13, our eyes cannot assure us that there are adequate provisions, or that the land is inhabitable. However, we have have the promise of a God who has never broken His word, and who has continually lavished His grace and blessing upon His people. Though I may not understand or comprehend it, this promised land that I pursue is a good place. It has been prepared by the God of Abraham, and I know that He is a remarkably good God. While I may have many questions, I have no reason to fear, I am in the hands of God, and in His hands I am well kept.
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