Articles
Eternity in Our Heart
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books in the Bible. The plain, simple account of Solomon’s trial and error in life is something that we as mortal beings need to consider and learn from. Chapter 12 is a sobering reminder of what life is all about, with the conclusion that all we do, we will be held accountable for. The beginning and end of it all is God, and consideration of this inescapable fact necessarily points our thoughts to eternity.
When we think back to chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that there is a time for everything. Time is an interesting concept. Have you considered that time means nothing to God? Peter cautions us when he says, “Do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). God, The eternal being, does not have a watch. He is not on a schedule. Solomon reminds us that man is on a schedule. There is a beginning and an end to man. If we continue reading in chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes we see in verse 11 that “[God] has put eternity in man’s heart.” What a profound statement! God, who does not count time as we do, has put eternity in our hearts.
How does he do this, and what does it mean? We know that man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). I believe that part of this fact, along with us having a soul and being able to reason, is that we have an innate longing for eternity, our home. I am reminded of Abraham as he journeyed, not knowing where he was going, because he was looking forward to his home with God (Heb. 11:10). He had eternity in his heart.
Do we long for what is beyond this life? Do we “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23)? Are we homesick for heaven? Whatever struggles, heartaches, and even good times that keep us occupied while we live here on earth must be stifled when we consider eternity. We must transcend our physical life and consider ourselves as what we truly are: spirits with eternity in our hearts. If we remember who we are in that sense, we can more easily bear the weight and strain of this life as we long for our true home: eternity with the Lord.
