April 24, 2012
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{eavesdrop on eternity}
ever feel that life is like being in the middle of a novel…
nothing makes any sense. the plot seems confusing.
and you just wish you could flip ahead to know the outcome?
i read the following this afternoon and wow, did i need the reminder.
and i thought perhaps, maybe, i wasn’t the only one.
Lost in the Middle by Paul David Tripp, excerpts from chapter 11.
“We don’t need to read mystery novels; our own lives are mysteries enough… and we find ourselves wanting to get to the last chapter first so that we will know where this whole things going.
We tend to think that if only we had known the last chapter first, we would have dealt a lot better with what was on our plate. We carry around questions about what will happen, and at various points in our lives we all struggle to accept the actual outcome.
But what most Christians fail to understand is that God HAS let us in on the last chapter…
the Bible has the end all laid out for us.
And He invites us to eavesdrop on eternity and then to look back on our lives with the unique perspective that only eternity can give us.
God’s story only makes sense from the vantage point of eternity.
and our lives will only make sense when we view it from that perspective.
Those of us who feel lost in the middle of our own stories need more than a lecture on how we should be thankful. We need more than an exhortation to get up once more and follow the Lord by faith. We need more than practical insight on the typical things that people struggle with. We need more than just compassion and encouragement.
What we need is the big picture.
We need to be able to see the issues of life in the context of the sure-to-come realities of eternity.
We get so blinded by our successes and failures. We get distracted by the dramas of the moment. Our ability to think clearly gets clouded by powerful emotions and powerful desires. We become proud and paralyzed by our own legacy. And even if all these things were not true, our vision would be unreliable for the simple fact that we are finite human beings and, therefore, only capable of seeing one slice of life at a time.
Eternity, however, gives us the wide angle view.
Eternity has the power to dispel our confusion and clarify our values.
Do you want to know what’s really important?
eavesdrop on eternity.
Do you want to evaluate the life investments you’ve made?
eavesdrop on eternity.
Do you want to construct a life that really fits with what God is doing?
eavesdrop on eternity.
Eternity is the compass that orients every aspect of a Christian’s lifestyle.
In eternity, many of the things that seem to matter so much don’t matter anymore. The size and luxury of your house doesn’t matter anymore. Your physical strength or beauty doesn’t matter anymore. Family vacations, cars, clothes, and bank accounts do not matter anymore.
Redemption is what matters.God has entered this horribly sin broken world to redeem the lost, rebellious, and self absorbed people {that’s us} from slavery to everything else but Him. And He has welcomed them into citizenship in His kingdom of glory forever and ever.
This is what matters!
If you are one of God’s children, this is what He has been working on all along.
It is the project that God has always been unwilling to leave incomplete.
{He who began a good work in you..}
No matter what you are facing right now, if you are God’s child, there is one sure thing to cling to:
you have a bright future {hope}.
It is brighter than anything you can wrap your brain around.God is going to wipe away your final tear.
and in the cool shadows of the Lord’s tent you will rest forever.
If all that you are facing now didn’t have a then, then nothing you do, no matter how successful or comfortable, would be worth anything anyway. God lets you look into then, so that as you face the trials of now you will have hope that is stronger than your disappointments, encouragement that overwhelms your regret, and a dream to motivate you that is better than any dream you could have conjured up for yourself.”
take some time to eavesdrop on eternity.
Comments (15)
wow. so good Amber. i’m so glad you posted this…gonna have to check out this book!
♥
Brilliant post! I’d like to add that He wouldn’t let us go through something that we can’t handle, by His mercy. Also, I read the other day something along the lines of ” Regret leads to the door of Grace which then will lead to the door of redemption.” Thank you so very much for sharing this. =D
This is such a great reminder! So often throughout the week I will have a conversation with the kids that will go something like, “in the light of eternity, how important is this thing??” It always helps us (or at least me!) to get our focus back on track. So much stress would be relieved if I reminded myself of this more often! God bless to you! : )
good post, Amber.
I was shouting yes, Yes, YES the entire way through! I NEED this book! Writing it down this minute!
This is so good… For financial pressures, for unknown futures, for overdue mothers…
It’s about eternity, not about today, although I can live today in light of eternity…
Thank you, Sweet Amber!
I too want to read the book too.
Loved this post. Thanks for sharing.
Happy Tuesday Amber!!! =) xoxo
ohmygoodness. just…overwhelmed. i love this. how perfect to read it today. how awesome is it? that while the deceiver whispers that the middle lasts forever…it does.NOT. HE has promised to finish what HE’s started in me!!! thank you Jesus. and thank you so much for sharing dear friend.
eavesdropping offers a LIVELY hope.
That sounds like a great book! I’ll have to look into it
Excellent.
This is a fantastic reminder for anyone who feels STUCK where they are! I have been there! Focusing on the big picture, the promise and hope of eternity sure does help!
i first heard Paul Tripp on my mom’s grief share videos…he has some of the wisest comments on the series. but then I found that my friend who reads a TON of books was reading some of his stuff and sharing some points he had made..and i found myself knodding aalong. Sounds like he’s hit the nail on the head…i just sumbled upon some verses that i’d written down and one of them (can’t remember which at the moment) seemed to point in the same direction that this post did. thank you for sharing.
SO good! I think we really need this reminder every day! Even in relation to what I have been learning about generosity…eternity has such a bearing on those decisions. I remember years ago listening to KP Yohannan (an Indian missionary who founded Gospel for Asia) talking about “living in the light of eternity.” That phrase has stuck with me all these years, but so often I forget to live it out!
love Paul Tripp…heard him speak and I’m pretty sure I wrote down about every word. Lots of Godly wisdom!
I like that thought…to eavesdrop on eternity. Everything will be worth it all in the end.