Because of Eternity

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.”  Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV)

This week’s  focus verse is one  that seems fresh and inviting every time I read it. The poetic passage in which it appears is a gem in biblical literature, and much of its appeal  stems from its  tendency to make our spirits soar.

In writing these devotions, I try not to quote from famous writers so that I may keep the spiritual focus, but, in connection with   today’s text,   I must mention the renowned American historian, David McCullough’s book  about the Wright Brothers’  experiment at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The story  is riveting and inspirational. The brothers, Orville in particular, believed that man was destined to fly.  The birds he observed did it, and so could man. So Orville  doggedly pursued his  passion, one experimental trial after  another. He made  adjustments to his home-made craft that carried his aspiration aloft through many failed attempts  and  to final success when a piece of man-made equipment  became airborne.

Where did the Wright Brothers’ yearning for flight come from? Thousands of years before  Kitty Hawk, Solomon put  into words his reflections about man’s desire to explore and  to reach upward. He concluded that God had set “eternity in their hearts.”   God’s sovereign design is behind man’s  quest.   Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, John Glenn—they all had the desire to reach beyond their limited sphere, and so do  today’s  explorers who climb into spacecrafts and venture to see what’s out there.

Is it wrong for us  to have longings, to have desires  for accomplishments that transport us out of our ordinary lives and make us  reach  for better things? No, not if we believe the inspired Word that eternity is within us and that it was  placed there by our Creator God.  After all, we’re made in His image, so  we belong to Him, and we belong with Him. Our gifts and talents, when committed to His purpose can, as happens in the parable of the talents, double  and produce five more.  In our pursuit of higher achievements, we can experience unqualified success and immeasurable  joy. Our yearnings may  lead us into diverse paths—athletics, science exploration, philosophy, research and more.  If  in our  seeking, we realize who   the rewarder of our search is, we’ll be fully satisfied with the result. Unfortunately,  many who search without considering Him,  oftentimes after finding what they are looking for,  end up asking themselves, “Is  this all there is?’  But when we search with our eyes fixed on  eternity, we’ll find the sweet reward  that Christ gives.

We can  be glad that the motivation we feel  for something higher and better  has a God-ordained source. His eternity is within our hearts. Let us  continue to pursue our passion with confidence.

Always,

Judith

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“Ah, but a man’s reach should
exceed  his grasp- – –
Or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning