“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

                        -Isaiah 57:15

I don’t know about you, but it always baffles my mind to spend even a few minutes trying to wrap my brain around the concept of eternity. The thought of living forever in heaven is one thing, but it nearly gives me a headache trying to comprehend the fact that God never had a beginning! As the song by Phillips Craig & Dean says, “…before time began, You were on Your throne; You were God alone. And right now, in the good times and bad, You are on Your throne; You are God alone.”

I suppose one of the reasons we struggle in comprehending eternity is our distorted view of time. Somebody’s running late and we say, “Wow. It’s taking them forever!” Here on earth, words like always, never and forever usually aren’t synonyms for eternity; they just indicate a long (or semi-long) period of time. It could mean a few years, or even a few minutes – but when God says it, He uses it in its full meaning. When He says He’ll never leave us nor forsake us, He means just that. When He says we will spend forever with Him in heaven, He isn’t exaggerating.

In a life where everything has a time frame, the thought of a God Who is apart from time completely amazes me. But even more than that, it reminds me of the importance of making sure I end up in the right place at the end of this life. Once we get to our eternal home, there will be no more do-overs. We’ll be stuck there forever. No, not a million years. That’s like a drop in a bucket the ocean in contrast with eternity! Whether for everlasting joy (heaven), or everlasting sorrow (hell), eternity will one day come knocking on your door. Perhaps before you finish reading this post! Are your bags packed?