”I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:10 – 11

God’s creation is incredible. Every molecule serves a purpose in His world; nothing gets wasted. And when He created each one of us, it must have been a very special moment! Picture it, when someone creates something, they will spend all their time and effort in putting as much attention and love into their creation. Artists pride themselves in their art, because during the process of creation, they are able to reflect their skills and talents – as well as themselves; their thoughts, feelings and opinions. So we, as God’s created ones, reflect God’s power and who He is (at least, that was the case before the fall). Not only that, but Psalm 139:13 says that God “created my inmost being; [He] knit me together in my mother’s womb”, “for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14). WE ARE ONLY DUST, and yet God remembers us and loves us, and has compassion on us (Psalm 103:13), and has placed eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

To have felt the Father’s touch in the instance we were created, and for that touch to have been removed because there is a separation between man and God called sin has left us longing to return to our Creator, to be admired and loved by Him because we reflect His perfection and His glory. There is a hole in our hearts, a yearning that we cannot understand. And though I’m not sure that that yearning will ever completely disappear during our walk on this planet, we have come to understand it better through Jesus, and have learnt to overcome it (1 John 5:4).

Recently I listened to a sermon by Hans Peter Royer (here), a Swiss evangelical preacher who has been a spiritual inspiration ever since I was a teenager. The talk was on living a fulfilled life, and he made an interesting point. If Jesus had just come to forgive us our sins, He would have done that by dying on the cross, nothing more. If Jesus wanted us to join Him in heaven, He would have lifted us up from His throne. But He didn’t just want that – and this is the most beautiful thing you may ever encounter – Jesus, God, wants to join us in life. He doesn’t just want to live WITH us, but the Bible teaches that we can have Christ IN us, if we accept it (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 8:10). Because if we live our lives with Christ in us, then we become like Christ, like God, reflecting His glory and power, just as we were in the very beginning, just as God designed us.

If we have Christ in us, it doesn’t matter what happens. Our dreams may not come true, and tragedy may strike. Our hearts may be broken and sorrow may befall us, but God will NEVER let those go who turn to Him and live according to His will – who are therefore righteous and walk in God’s favour (Psalm 34:17 – 18).

What does this mean? It means that those who turn to God in ALL circumstances, choosing His will over their own pleasure, they will find relief from all earthly pain and fears – not necessarily today or tomorrow, or at any point in this life. Paul considered “our present sufferings (…) not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18). That glory is being right with God, living in His holy presence, and not falling to the unwanted desires of the flesh – forever!

So, what are you waiting for? What can be better than eternity with the God who created us? His intention was that we glorify Him in such a pure way that it would come naturally to us – that it would be our desire and our comfort to. Imagine eternity, glorifying God in perfect harmony, experiencing His love in such a way that we were never able to on earth before!

Too often, we lose perspective. We forget what we were fighting for. We forget that to God, a lifetime is nothing. So live your life. Enjoy it, experience it. But remember that it won’t last forever. What is a moment’s hurt when we consider the goal we are aiming for. There is an eternal life waiting for us – for which it is more than worth it to wait for, in perfect submission to God and in patience, knowing that His promises will be fulfilled.

The hardest times are perhaps not the rough times, when we feel like the world is crashing down on us. Or the happy times, when we are in danger of becoming too careless. Rather, it appears that the hardest times are when we realise that we are doing just fine - and then that actually, we are lost, not quite sure of where we are heading, fearsome that we're getting this all wrong. Afraid of becoming so lost that we remain in that motionless pit, never growing or reaching new landscapes.

Today, completing my last ever assessment at University led me first to elation, then to a dreamy-trance like state, and then to the realisation that I am now free - a free being in an overwhelmingly big sea. With no sense of direction, I have no idea where I am meant to be, or what my skills are. I have no idea what my life will look like a month from now; where I will be, who the people around me will be, what I will be doing. And as exciting as that is, it is a daunting and sorrowful thought. The risk of loving someone is to get hurt. Loving the people who have offered me a spiritual home and have taught me such valuable lessons in how to let my light shine in a dark world means that it will hurt immensely to have to leave. I don't feel ready, not for this world or for God. The fact is, I don't feel a sense of being close to God that many people express. To be sure of His voice is not something I am familiar with, and it makes endeavouring into this fierce, cold world a very daunting task.

This is what I hold onto: that this life is not forever. God never promised to eliminate these times. He promised His presence, but faith means to trust, even when we cannot see or hear or feel that presence. It means moving forward, even when we think it is worthless. It means picking ourselves up, telling ourselves to stop worrying, and lifting our eyes to meet the amazing light that He has set before us. If it wasn't for that, then the choice He gave us would not be such a joyful one when we decide to choose Him over the world.

"And who knows that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10.

THE LORD'S PRAYER:
Matthew 6:9 - 13

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name."
Father, thank you for creating me. I am but a tiny speck of dust on this tiny planet in the midst of a universe so vast it goes beyond my comprehension, and yet You love us so much that You cared enough to not turn away. You have given us the most precious gift a father can give his child. Therefore I will praise Your name all my life, regardless of what may come my way.

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
I may feel like You are far away, or that You don't speak to me, but because I can be here by no other means than You, and because You have blessed me beyond anything I deserve, I will follow Your ways through the storm and through the night.

"Give us today our daily bread."
I am too weak and small to understand Your will. Without You I am nothing. Lord, be an ever-present help in my life, that I may live according to Your will and so that my words and actions will honour You. I thank You for the trials that You do not spare me of, because through them I learn more of who You are and who You want me to be (James 1:2) - strong in You. I thank You for Your provision in everything, and that You are always there to lead me and guide me in ways I do not know are good for me, which honour You and lift up Your name.

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
Without Your wisdom and Your word, we would surely succumb to our own desires and the world's wisdom. Thank You for Your mercy and guidance in becoming more like You. Convict us therefore when we sin against You and against others, and teach us how to be right before You and with others, each human being created and loved dearly by You.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Lord, see our honest desire to seek You and to withstand our sinful desires, and help us to become pure and holy in Your sight.

Help us to be a bright light to others, just as You are to us. Be a constant reminder that we do not know who is following that light, a light that You have placed within us, a hope and a joy that transcends worldly wisdom. For that is the amazing truth and hope that we have - a hope that is unseen to the world (Hebrews 11:1 - 6).


"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."