He Has Set Eternity in Our Hearts

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end." Ecclesiastes 2:11

My study notes of this verse say, "God's beautiful but tantalizing world is too big for us, yet its satisfactions are too small. Since we were made for eternity, the things of time cannot fully and permanently satisfy."

I love what this verse says about how God has set eternity in our hearts. It's so true!!! We were all made for eternity which is why we all strive for it. For those of us who know God we've found it. For those who haven't, they continue to seek it through materialism, addictions and wants. They continue to fill themselves up with many things that give short term satisfaction and when those good satisfied feelings go away they seek for more.

I love what the summary of Ecclesiastes says in the front of the chapter, "Life not centered on God is purposeless and meaningless. Without Him, nothing else can satisfy. With Him, all of life and His other good gifts are to be gratefully received and used and enjoyed to the full."

This reminds those of us who do have a relationship with God that we still need to me mindful of not falling into the trap of the world. The world's view is to fill ourselves up with meaningless stuff and find satisfaction through those things. And those things are far from the Lord. One way we can do this is to fill ourselves up with more of God's Word then the world's word. If junk goes in junk will come out no matter how much you try to mask it. But God calls us to fill ourselves up with Him. Phil. 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

What we think is really who we are. We can mask what we think by what we say and do but it's all in vain. It's all in vain because our thoughts still manage to come shining through in our actions and words no matter how much we try to guard them. And the times we slip up are when we are not closely guarding our thoughts.

I love the last paragraph of my devotional: "Do not weary of the training that is in store for you. To be the person you most desire will take a very large part of your Christian life. Do not tire of trying the good thoughts, putting aside the bad. When you are about to give up in despair, the Holy Spirit is willing to live those thoughts through you. Give HIm the opportunity to do the work which He has placed in your life to do." - Streams in the Desert

The things of this world will pass as will we. What we build up within our short time here is indeed meaningless. It will not save us. It will not satisfy us. It will not give us everlasting peace, hope and love. It will not give us eternal life. For truly we were made for eternity so lets start filling ourselves up with it!

Krista Jones
7.24.08


Bible Reading Guide:

Beginning to End: Josh. 9-11
Old and New Testaments Together: Deut. 19-21 & Mark 13:21-37
Historical: Josh. 9-11
Chronological: Deut. 5-7
Blended: Job 20-21 & I Cor. 7:20-40

The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible