"Forever In Time"

    Eternity and time met in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ" - "From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God….  When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son" (Galatians Psalm 90:2; 4:4).

   I'll leave to other and better hearts and minds the philosophical challenges of such mystery as revealed in the God who is man and the man who is God.  I'd rather share a personal anecdote, as provided by my eight year old grandson Jackson.  He and his sister Emma (7) spent the night with us Saturday.  Yesterday morning, as I busily prepared for Sunday services, Jack asked if we could throw the football.  I didn't have time for fun, but then again, I did.  "I'll have just a minute or two before we leave, Jack" I said, and repeated for emphasis, "just a minute or two."

   We went outside and threw the ball for those minutes, and enjoyed the brief opportunity to engage in one of Jackson's favorite pastimes (mine too, particularly since I remember hundreds, if not  thousands, of similar episodes with Jackson's dad as he grew up).  "I wish I had more time, but I have to go, Jack" I said as the brief moment passed quickly away.  Jack responded, "I know, Grandaddy."  As we walked into the house, Jackson thanked me for taking the time to throw the football with him.  "You know, Granddaddy", he said, "it may only have been two minutes, but it was one of the most fun two minutes I've ever had!"   I had to agree, and as you can imagine, Jack's comment made those minutes all the more blessed.

   Sometimes the briefest moment of time so finds it way into your heart that you know it will be with you for a lifetime.  Even more, God often infuses eternal glories into the temporal, even as the "from everlasting to everlasting" Son entered the realm  of time for our benefit in both realities.  One can only imagine the sense of limitation such incarnation involved.  Indeed, how does an eternal, infinite being confine Himself within the constraints and restraints of time?   The Apostle Paul provides the only answer, a non-answer, actually: "Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16).  Such mystery continues as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus involves Himself in the moments of our lives.  As we walk by faith and its anticipation of Divine involvement, our Heavenly Father frequently reveals features of forever in time, glories that will be eternally with us that first engaged and impacted us in brief moments of this present realm so different from God's "everlasting to everlasting."  

    I believe we should expect such glory, as provided by the Lord who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).  Jackson reminded me yesterday that just a minute or two can provide joy in the moments, and joy in the memories of the moments.  The time we spent will be with me for the rest of my life, primarily because of my grandson's response to our experience together.  Moreover, Jackson reminds me to anticipate our Heavenly Father's involved presence whereby His forever fills our time with glories and benefits that shall be with us "to everlasting."

"For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us."

(I John 1:2)

"My expectation is from Him."

(Psalm 62:5)

Weekly Memory Verse

    My flesh and my heart faith, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

(Psalm 73:26)