Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. ~ Psalm 119:89
READING: Matthew 25:31-46
During college, as Jim and I pondered what to do with our lives, Jim heard an amazing comment by a missionary statesman, Ray Buker, Jr., who said that we know, of course, that God in heaven is eternal. But on earth, there are only two things that will last forever – God’s word and the souls of people. Nothing else will survive. Nothing! However, everyone we pass on the street or glimpse in their hidden vulnerability, from the least to the greatest, will one day enter an eternal future either in heaven or in hell. Think about that!
His observation made a deep impression on us. What better way to make a lasting contribution than to devote ourselves to the only two things on earth that will last forever? We have never regretted that decision, and pass along Ray Buker’s words to encourage you who have, like us, chosen to labor in the eternals.
Some days, I admit, when the work is frustrating and it seems like we’re stuck in a backwater, it is easy to lose sight of that grand perspective and wonder if we made a mistake not to pursue a career doing something more tangible or more valued by society. Many things about church planting are fragile
– temporary shelters at best. God doesn’t promise that every church will last forever or every committee or every effort.
But the words of life will not return void. And the precious people who turned to Christ or became more receptive by seeds we planted and the watering we did, will last into eternity. The gallant kindness we extend and the message of the gospel we faithfully proclaim will resonate into eternity.
Dear Lord, Thank You for making our lives count for something. Help us to live with eternity in view. Amen.
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