
Finite or Forever: Is There a Heaven?
Since we were first able to make sense of this life, we have thirsted for the next one. The question that has largely occupied our wondering has been, “Is there a heaven and if so, what is it like?”
Since we were first able to make sense of this life, we have thirsted for the next one. The question that has largely occupied our wondering has been, “Is there a heaven and if so, what is it like?”
The sluggard has desires, but they are unwilling to put in the work to make them happen. They are too lazy to get the education, training, and experience to achieve what they want, so they look for shortcuts.
When bad things assault us, they shout large questions to our hearts. Questions that begin with “Why,” How” and “Who.” And frequently our heart is at a loss for words.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. The sluggard is full of them. “I am overqualified.” “I am underqualified.” “That’s too challenging.” “That’s not challenging enough.” “I am waiting for the perfect job that fits my gifts and training perfectly.”
It’s the 800-pound question sitting in your soul. Get it right and The Way to heaven stands before you. Get it wrong and the world will welcome you to its darkness.
The sluggard’s failure not only leaves a sour taste in our mouths; they also paralyze our progress. Ever get a face full of smoke? You are blinded until the smoke goes away and your eyes stop burning.
Among the countless questions we ponder during our lifetimes, some tower larger than others. Some are so huge they obscure the horizon. Some are so important that eternity hangs on their answer.
Laziness puts a person and all their dependents at risk. Idleness will not provide for the needs of today. Working half-heartedly will jeopardize the wherewithal to meet the needs of tomorrow.
Laziness produces poverty—in all areas of life. It keeps us from being all God intended us to be, whether at home, work, or worship. Laziness is a lack of discipline that will keep us out of shape physically and spiritually. Poverty, in all forms, will come upon us “like a robber” and steal the blessings of God.
Scripture describes those who refuse repeated warnings as “stiff-necked.” Their pride will not allow them to “bend” to others. They will live life in their time frame and on their terms. It will seem to them, for a while at least, that they were right and everybody else was wrong.
We can’t always control how our children will respond. Sometimes they will need to learn life’s lessons through their own failures. But, parents, never give up on them even when it seems like they are not listening. The older they get, the smarter you get.
We are all “prone to wander,” and the decision we make when confronted is multi-layered. The decision not only impacts us but those around us. When we heed instruction, we show the “path to life” for others. When we ignore reproof, we lead “others astray.” It’s a pretty big decision, isn’t it?
In today’s passage, wisdom (personified) cries out in the noisy streets and reminds all who will listen that she is willing and ready to pour out her spirit to all who will listen and respond to her correction. But to those who reject her, terror will strike them “like a storm” and calamity will sweep over them “like a whirlwind” (Proverbs 1:27).
So, for all those who “know it all,” there is still a lot of learning to do. When you desire obedience, you will love attaining knowledge even when the truth hurts and demands a change in your life.
A “man of wrath” is controlled by anger. You know the type. They are constantly railing about something. The government. The educational system. Their business partners. The neighbors. How someone treated them at a particular restaurant.
I do not and cannot live in a bubble. This is the real world. Things will occur that make me angry. But here is the question: Will I control my anger, or will my anger control me?
Scripture is profound. It describes the eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God who sent his Son as a substitutionary atonement for our sin, imputes our sin on him, and imputes his righteousness on us. And Scripture is profoundly practical. When you see a hot-tempered person, for goodness sakes, keep your distance from them whatever you do.
Anger produces strife, but it doesn’t have to. Instead of pressing anger, surrender it to God. Place your emotions under the control of the Holy Spirit that lives within every believer. He is more than capable of turning your swirling emotions into Spirit-controlled peace.
So, when you feel it coming on…when the anger starts working in your mind, causing your blood pressure to rise and making you want to do something or say something, you will most certainly regret…pray for God to take control of your heart. It takes a person of discipline and the power of God to control the temper.