Weekly Devotionals - 2 January

Most people don’t think too much about eternity for they are so taken up with this brief, busy life that they’re in right now. Eternity seems too distant and unreal.
 
Let’s deliberately take this time to ponder on the importance of preparing for eternity. There are compelling reasons why we should take our impending eternity very seriously.
 
1st Reason – Eternity comes for all of us
 
If our future (the remaining time on earth) is important to us, our eternity (the ongoing, conscious existence after physical death) is infinitely more important.
 
God’s Word reveals that not only is there an afterlife, but we are going to be held accountable for the way we live in this lifetime.
 
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…”
 
2nd Reason – Eternity is where we will spend our unending existence after physical death
 
Our physical bodies will die, but not our human spirits and souls. Ultimately, everyone will have a resurrected body which lasts forever, and each will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgement, fully alive and conscious. Then we will receive the final verdict.
 
3rd Reason – Eternity sometimes comes suddenly and sooner than expected
 
If you are half-way through this life, you would probably have seen people you know who has been catapulted into eternity without prior warning. If these people don’t simply go out of existence, where are they now?
 
4th Reason

In eternity, there are only two places a soul could go: either Heaven or hell. Heaven means eternal bliss and hell eternal torment.
 
Many people don’t like the mere mention of hell for it seems incongruous with the idea of a loving God. However, just because we don’t understand or accept certain things doesn’t mean they are not true.
 
Jesus warns us of the horrors of hell. He also reveals the glories of Heaven and how we can get there. So instead of fussing over the existence of hell, why don’t we focus on God’s promises of a wonderful, eternal life in Heaven, and how to stay close to Christ in our journey to the Celestial City?
 
The Creator of life gives us a choice. Anyone can choose to give hell a big miss. So make the decision to trust Christ, abandon the broad way and walk with our Savior along the narrow way that leads to Heaven. It has to be a deliberate choice which is reinforced daily by our continued trust in our Lord and Savior.
 
Jesus teaches that the broad way leads to death and destruction but the narrow way leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). However, many drift through this life, not caring which path they are on.
 
In the book, Alice In Wonderland, Alice found herself at a crossroad and she didn’t know which road to take because she didn’t know where to go. So she consulted a Cheshire cat that was resting at the fork road.
 
Alice: Please tell me, which road do I take?
 
Cat: Well, it depends a great deal on where you want to go.
 
Alice: I don’t know where I want to go.
 
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which road you take.
 
Many souls, like Alice, don’t know where they’re going and they think it’s inconsequential which road they have taken. Every road seems harmless and the broad one seems more comfortable and interesting. But what they don’t know is that it leads to eternal damnation.
 
This life is but a journey that leads you to either Heaven or hell. If a soul doesn’t know or believe that, he’ll drift along the easy broad way that leads to destruction.
 
Hence, there is no earthly decision that anyone can make that is as urgent and important than the intentional choice to follow Christ. The other option is unthinkably dreadful!
 
Next week, we will take a look at the Seven Promises of Eternal Bliss.