I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “I had my heart set on that.” Of course it’s usually a lament when something didn’t pan out. We ‘set out hearts’ on many things; some good, some not so good. I’ve had my mind & heart set on many things that in retrospect would have been a disaster. I suspect that’s why God basically says, “Not hardly.” He cares far too much.
You might have read or heard the passage in Ecclesiastes about a “Time for all things.” Solomon, the most wise man to live, points out the broad scope of God’s plan in these verses. He reminds us life is a balance & should be looked at & lived that way. The verse that is often overlooked is found right after these poetic thoughts. It is a reminder that God places in our hearts a reality & desire for more than just what we see. He has literally set our hearts on eternity.
“God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
A friend once said, ‘everlasting life begins the day we invite Christ into our hearts.” A wise truth. To my thinking everlasting life begins then, but ‘eternity’ begins when I take my last breath of earthly air. That’s when my choice of what I did with & believe about Jesus really matters! God has made us to live forever, the choice & question is where?
God is busy working to create masterpieces of our lives, just as He did with the handiwork of His earthly creation. My problem is I’m trying to help guide His hand. No matter how good an ‘artist’ I might fancy myself, truth is, I simply don’t have His eternal perspective. In His time, He makes all things beautiful. It’s just I “cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
If you have not read Ecclesiastes, Solomon struggled with all the things man sets his heart upon. In his own life Solomon had the opportunity & wear-withal to pursue & clutch all he desired. He surmised it was all just so much sand sifting through his fingers. His conclusion: “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty.God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NLT
So, what do you have your heart set on? A new truck? A new job? A new house? A new relationship? Restoration of some broken relationship? Deep down, whether you believe it or not, God has set your heart on eternity. I suppose the big question for all of us is, ‘what are we going to do with it?” I guess you could say we have ‘eternal hearts’ or ‘infernal hearts.’ The choice is clearly up to what we do with & believe about Jesus. I surely don’t claim to be wise as Solomon, but thankfully, with God’s direction, I have come to that same conclusion: fear God & obey His commands.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment