All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.     1 Peter 1;24 HCSB

Yesterday my dad celebrated his birthday in heaven for the 9th time. He died just short of his 85th birthday. Now that may seem like a long life, but in my eyes, I felt as though I hadn’t had nearly enough time with him. I had only had 47 years with him, and I wasn’t ready to see him go. I know 47 years seems like a long time. But when it came to losing my dad, it seemed like a very short time. When you lose someone you love, it never seems as if you have had enough time with them.

Let’s face it life is short. Especially when you compare it to eternity. The oldest recorded life in the Bible is Methuselah and he was reported to have lived 969 years in Genesis 5:27. But still, when compared to eternity, 969 years is a short time.

Our Scripture passage tells us that life is temporary as is any glory we may experience here on earth, but the word of the Lord endures forever. We are told in James 4:14 that none of us know what tomorrow will bring because our life is but a mist that appears for a little time then vanishes.

We also like to believe that all souls go to heaven, but we know from Scripture that this is not true. I have loved ones that have gone before me and I have no doubt they are waiting for me in heaven. But in all honesty, I also have loved ones that I would be shocked to find them there. This is why it is so crucial that we consider how short our lives really are. Whether we live 10 years or 100 years it is still a very short time compared to eternity.

On earth, I have a home. I have a house in which I live but from time to time I am fortunate enough to travel. I don’t change the way I live simply because I am travelling. I don’t get involved in the politics and the people’s business when I am travelling. I am only there temporarily. I know that within a few days or a week I will be returning home.

But I also have a heavenly home, which is my true home. This is where I will spend eternity. So you could say that my time on earth is just like an extended stay situation. While I am here I must live as though I were in heaven. I must focus on Jesus. I must use every opportunity given to go into His house and praise and worship Him. I must put God first. I must love others and be kind to them.

There was an old hymn that I used to love to sing, and the title was, “When We All Get to Heaven.” This hymn was written by E. E. Hewitt in 1898. You see just like the hymn says, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all get to heaven, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”

If we live our short lives here on earth as if we are practicing for heaven, we can be sure we will make it. We must remember that it’s not just about going to church, it’s about the love in our hearts for our Lord and Savior. It’s about the love we have for others. If we live surrounded in God’s love, we can have a bit of heaven here on earth.

We know that life is short but not one of us knows how short that life will be. God created us to be in fellowship with Him just as we will be in heaven. He created us to live a life of example for others and to recruit as many as we can to go to heaven with us. Life may be short, but we have a lot to do in that short span. If we trust in the Lord and focus on Him and be obedient to Him He will walk us through the things He has called us to do.

Use your time here on earth wisely. Live a life that brings glory and honor and praise to the Lord. Trust in Him. Obey Him. Serve Him through serving others. When we compare our lives to what awaits us in eternity, we find there is no comparison.

Give Him all you’ve got during your time here and He will reward you with an eternity of blessings up there.

Have a great day!