Meant for Eternity
My son is participating in Occupational Equine therapy.
We are on a farm facing the famous Australian, Blue Mountains. There are horses in paddocks, cows and some dogs near the farmhouse lazing about. It is about to storm, the air is fresh and it’s windy and there is some light radiating from the grey clouds. The type that look heavenly. Inside my heart, I am feeling alive and alert. I hop out of my car to take a picture. The sky is my gateway to heaven. It always arouses contentment and amazement in me. I think God sends sunsets just for my eyes.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.” —Jn 5:24 (CSB)
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world,” — CS Lewis
Heaven, Eternity, Grace—all unfathomable concepts to me. I can have salvation based on my belief in Jesus. Salvation means eternity with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Not based on my actions or goodness, weather I am rich or poor. But on a single drop of belief that Jesus is the Messiah. The one God sent to bring about my restoration to himself. And I will be in eternity forever.
I honesty believe God places glimpses of eternity. Shadows of goodness and beauty in our path. Both to woe us and to bring us comfort, to bring our hearts to Him. The sky, sea, trees, butterfly’s and a river called Nepean river, bring my heart such joy. It’s like my spirit opens up to instant connection and conversation and prayer flows freely between God and I.
In John 4:24 God shows us how easily it is to come to him. To find intimacy, rest, comfort and joy. We simply believe in Jesus. In these words there is no room for religion, rules and regulations. No space for judgement on others motives. Just simply pure belief. That Jesus is Jesus! God’s son, Messiah, sinless and salvation. This blows my mind.
The story of the other men hanging on the cross confirms this.
“Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” —Lk 23: 39-43
This is Grace. Underserved favour. We are given paradise, and we have nothing of value to gain entry except for our belief in Jesus who is all things good and right and by association to him we are given salvation and eternity with God. This makes me wonder what eternity means.
Jesus says:
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” Revelation also says: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” —Rev 21:4
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”— Ecc 3:11
Eternity is in our hearts. We long for home. For intimacy with God and here on Earth, we have glimpses. I go to pick up my son from his therapy session. He is standing with the horse with the brown spotty coat. I am no horse person but I can tell this is a beautiful horse. The therapist is feeding the horse hay and although he is standing on the other side of the fence I yearn to touch such a magnificent beast. We start chatting and maybe the horse can hear my thoughts cause he lifts his head up from his hay bucket and comes closer to me and I unhesitatingly reach my hand out for him to smell me. He lets me pat him and my whole body relaxes and I feel grounded. A glimpse of true peace and contentment. I know walking away from the horse that my encounter with the sky and the horse were both gifts of eternity from God to me.
I am so thankful for Jesus who made a way for us to be forever connected to God. CS Lewis is right. We are made for another world. I yearn for Eternity.
#eternity #salvation #heaven #mercy #grace