Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “ I have no pleasure in them”.
(Ecclesiastes 12:1) NKJV
These words seemed to jump right out of the pages of my Bible today, and grab me by the throat.
Soloman is painting a picture of growing old. It is a sobering picture and not a very pretty one. But what really grabbed my attention is that this could be my picture. If God allows me the years of life that would allow me the ability to grow into an elderly man, this is the description of what it would be like in those days.
But what would life be like as an elderly person if I’ve wasted and squandered my opportunities to serve and love God in my younger years. As a middle-aged and relatively young man today, I could look back on many years of my life in which I was seduced by the “pleasures” of this worldly system. There are many days when opportunities existed to share the love of Jesus and I wasted them. There were days that were filled with meaningless activities focused only on me and not on God. I can never have those days back. They are gone. If I could see them so clearly now, what will they look like as an elderly man?
Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7) NKJV
One day, this body is going to return to dust, where it came from. One day, my silver cord will be loosed, my golden bowl will be broken, my pitcher will be shattered. I have one shot at life. I have one opportunity to make a difference for eternity. At the end of this journey, if the days of my life are not filled with God’s purpose, my existence is meaningless. If my life and actions are not rooted in God’s love, my service to Him means nothing. Just a mere fifty years from now, it is very likely that I will not exist on this earth anymore and most of the people I interact with will no longer exist on this earth either. Yet, I put so much emphasis on today as if today were all that mattered.
The bottom line for me is that life is meaningless, empty and without any purpose at all if I just live it for the here and now. One day, when I live in eternity with my beautiful Savior, I will really begin living as God designed me to live. Because my time on this earth is so short and limited, the most important thing I could do with my time here is invest it into the things that will outlast my time here. Each and every moment of each and every day must be focused on eternity with Him.
God’s words are clear. Fear God. Love God. Obey God.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) NKJV
O God, great and awesome and eternal God who was and is and always will be, I thank you for the truth of your word! Your Holy Spirit has penetrated my heart and you have reminded me that the purpose you have for me in this existence matters for eternity!
I humbly ask you, God to help me prepare and plan for my eternal future with you. I ask that you take this existence and build upon this foundation utilizing the building blocks that would result in fruit in my life and glory to you. I have no desire Lord, to just do the things that I think sound good, fooling myself into thinking that they matter to you. In reality, I know that selfish things are not Christ centered at all. I want to KNOW you and I want you to work in me and through me to use me however you wish. Make my life purpose begin and end with you.
While I wait on you, I will still work, however imperfectly it is, to build on the one foundation that is the greatest gift from you of all – LOVE! I love you so very much, Lord and my love for you is only possible because you loved me first. My heart yearns to be with you in eternity. I long to see you face to face one day. It is my deepest longing, and to hear you say to me, “Well done” would be the greatest joy I could possibly ever imagine!
Lord, only you could make that dream come true! Until then, I will worship you and love you with all that I have to give. You are merciful, righteous, perfect, omniscient, loving, good and caring. You are MY GOD and my desire is for my heart and my mind to be transformed into the likeness of your most holy and beautiful Child.
Help me not waste one day you have blessed me with. I love you!
John (Johnd7264)
Sixty-six books in a year 