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The Hourglass from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Jeremiah 31:3 NASB The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

A "forever" love. That is what everlasting means. It is love that lasts for eternity. God loves each of us, and He knows us by name. He knows how many hairs are on your head (Matthew 10:30). You are not too small or insignificant for Him to notice. He was there when you took your very first breath, and He will be there when you breathe your last.

He draws us to Him with lovingkindness. Which means steadfast, loyal love, kindness, and affection. He does not need to use fear based tactics for those are tools of the enemy. No one is scared into heaven. If there is no sincere change of heart, you just don't go. Jesus said all men would know that we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35). Everywhere you find the presence of the Holy Spirit, you will also find love, and the fruit of the Spirit, or you're about to.

(Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

In short, God is good to us. But oh yes, there is discipline for those who need it because He wants the best for us. We correct our own children, and He does as well. If you are His child and do wrong, expect there to be consequences. Those who are not disciplined by Him are probably not His children at all.

(Hebrews 12:5–10 NASB)  ...“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

So, God knows everything there is to know about each one of us. He loves, adores, and treasures each of us as individuals. Yet, He will discipline His naughty children when needed, and there is nothing hidden from His sight. Your sin will always find you out (Numbers 32:23). When you stumble, repent and put it under the blood quickly.

That is my backstory to prepare you for what I am about to say. While praying about this message, I saw an hourglass with sand passing through it. I knew the sand represented the passage of time and the days of our lives. Each grain of sand could be a day or a deed we have done. As they fall into the bottom of the hourglass, they are soon covered over and forgotten. The sand continues to drain until the last grain of sand falls, and time runs out.

This is a sobering message, but I have to share what is on my heart. Many have lost sight of eternity and are too focused on the here and now. It is becoming like the seed sown among thorns:

(Matthew 13:22 NASB)  “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

We are living in exciting times, and thousands are stepping into eternity each day. It is time to focus on the eternal. None of us know how much sand is left in our hourglass. This is bigger than politics, more important than sports or work. Don't become distracted and choked by the thorns. Shake it off. Clear your mind.

Many worry and speculate about when Jesus Christ will return, while each of us is one heartbeat away from meeting Him in person. The time will come when the last grain of sand falls, and we step into eternity. Live your life ready to die. For ignoring death won't make it go away. Solomon said it perfectly:

(Ecclesiastes 12:6–7 NKJV)  Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Remember your Creator. Solomon presents an image of something precious and beautiful being broken. When our sand runs out, our bodies will return to the dust, and our spirits will return to God. On that day, all that you have worked for will be left behind and no longer matter. You cant take any of it with you. Paul wrote it this way:

(2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NASB)  Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

What are you focusing on today? It is good to enjoy life, love your family, work hard, and try to be successful, but remember your Creator while you pursue happiness. Don't let time slip away from you. Everything around you and all the stuff you are gathering is temporary.

I am not trying to scare you, for we don't have to be afraid of eternity. The Lord does not snatch our salvation away if we have a moment of weakness. If He did, not a single one of us would be saved. Paul compared our physical body to a tent that housed our eternal spirit.

(2 Corinthians 5:1 NASB)  For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

After our death, we will live with God in paradise for eternity. That is the retirement plan. But our work is right here, and right now, which is preparing us for that. This is the chance to be laying up treasure in heaven. Now is the time to be doing good works. To sacrifice some of your comfort for the good of others. Oh yes, there will be a reward for those who do.

(2 Corinthians 5:9–10 NASB)  Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Recompensed means we will be compensated for what we have done while living in our physical body here on Earth. Let's just say that when your hourglass is empty, you will want to have more good written in His ledger than bad.

(1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NASB)  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Some may be saved but may end up naked and smoky. I hope that we are covered with the glory of God at that point. Remember your Creator before the sand in your hourglass slips away.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins, come into my heart, and guide me from this day forth. I want to love You just as You love me. Help me to focus on eternity and make decisions that are pleasing to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!