As we journey through this life, we find that each of us will have our own story. We will experience the things (some good, some bad) that will form us into who we are to be. From birth to the grave, we will continue to learn and grow into the man or woman that is hopefully (it will be your choice) fit for the Master’s use. Some of our experiences are an ongoing process while others are present and influence us for only a brief time. Some of our experiences are pleasant while others can be quite painful.

Some seasons (karios in the Greek) which represent a particular time, a small space of time, a portion of a lifetime, a time of illness, stress, or pain seem to last an agonizingly long time, and yet, when looked back upon, it seems like no time at all. That was the case for my wife and I when I was incapacitated for ten months from a damaged nerve, During the ten months, some days it seemed like an eternity and some days felt like it was a nightmare. However, when the healing manifested, it didn’t seem so bad or so long. We understood and recognized the presence and help of the Lord throughout the trial.

Jesus was aware of and understood this journey of life when He said that we would have tribulation (trouble, trials, and sorrows). John 16:33 (ESV), “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." The Greek word thlipsis, translated in this verse, tribulation means pressure, pressing together and metaphorically oppression, affliction, distress and tribulation. Reading James 1:2 and 3 we see, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” Every trial or struggle is an opportunity for us to grow and have our character honed to be more pleasing to our God.

We are living in a fallen world (Genesis 3:14-19) which is not always easy to circumnavigate.

We take heart that our life on earth is not the end, and that in comparison to what God has prepared for us, our earthly life is only for a short time or a ‘little while.’

1 Peter 1:3-9 (NKJV), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.” We read in verse 3 the phrase, “has begotten us again” to a living hope. We were made and born physically in the flesh by God, Who wove us together in our mother’s womb and breathed His life into us. After sin entered the world and we were separated from God by that sin, we were dead spiritually. It is only through the resurrection of Christ that we can experience the New Birth or being ‘born again’ and be able to be reconciled to right relationship with God since Christ became the perfect sacrifice for sin. Thus the phrase, ‘has begotten us again.’ Why are we allowed to go through this process? Verse 4 states we came to this place of being born again so we could attain the ‘inheritance’ that has been reserved for us. ‘Inheritance, kleronomia in the Greek, according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon means: the eternal blessedness in the consumated Kingdom of God which is to be expected after the visible return of Christ. Tereo, the Greek word for ‘reserved’ means to keep or hold firmly. How amazing! God has reserved an inheritance for us! That inheritance is ours to claim after we have completed the ‘journey’ we take for the short time we are on the planet. In verse 6, the phrase, ’for a little while’, oligos in the Greek, means: few, little, or small, a short time or a season. In the New American Standard translation the words ‘briefly or short time’ were used.

To those of us who are getting older, it certainly seems like a short time, especially considering we are much closer to the end of our earthly life than we were as young children. To us, it feels as if it came upon us suddenly!

Let’s also take into consideration what 2 Peter 3:8 reveals to us, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” When we read this verse, we realize that our earthly life is like a blink of an eye compared to eternity.

Psalm 90:4 (NIV) explains it this way, “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” To understand the phrase “a watch in the night’, The New Spirit Filled Life Bible commentary explains that Hebrew time was divided into military watches which consisted of three hours each. So to the Lord, a thousand years in His sight is like 3 hours of our time. Moses gave us this visual for understanding what ‘a little while’ looks like in verses 5b and 6, “They are like the new grass of the morning: in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.”

God is eternal and sees all of time at once. There will be no clocks in heaven because time is immaterial.

James 4:13 -15 (CSB), “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring ​-- ​what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." We must allow God to teach us to manage our time well.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (CSB), “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Paul calls the painful experiences we have here, ‘light afflictions” when compared to the glory that is ahead.

We are encouraged that in spite of the fiery trials we endure, we keep our eyes on what is to come, eternity with Jesus. Our troubles will one day be over, our joy will last forever.

Jesus said that He would prepare a place for us! Let’s look at John 14:2 and 3 (ESV), “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also“

Hebrews 11:13 - 16 (NIV) reveals, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” We are foreigners and strangers on earth. We long for our heavenly home, the place God has promised and prepared for us!

Can you get a hold of this truth? God did not create us to be a permanent resident of the earth. He created us to live with Him forever. He created us as eternal beings and we must choose where we will spend that eternity. I realize this sounds harsh, but it is truth. We will spend eternity in His presence or in eternal darkness in hell. Realize this, if we do not intentionally choose Jesus, then by default, we have chosen satan and our eternity will be established with us separated from our loving Creator forever. If you have not done so, choose Jesus now for today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2. . . Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

One day, we will have the joy of sharing His glory! 1 Peter 4:13 and 14 (CSB), “Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” The word ‘joy’ in verse 13 is agalliao, in the Greek, meaning: to exult, rejoice exceedingly, We look forward to the glory of heaven which is eternal, rather than the tribulations of this world which are temporary. In verse 14, the Greek word doxa, translated ‘glory’ means: majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity. ‘Rests’ in verse 14 means” to permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength, to give rest, refresh (rests upon you to actuate (inspire and influence) you. That is such good news! The Spirit of glory and of God rests on us, which enables us to recover, collect strength, and be refreshed so He can inspire and exert His perfect influence upon us !

There are amazing benefits for the believer who enters into their heavenly home:

When we leave our earthly home, we will get a new body! 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NLT), “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.” Hallelujah! Our dying bodies will be swallowed by by life!

There will be no more tears. Revelation 21:1-5a (ESV), “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

We will have far greater knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV), “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Reward is great in heaven. Luke 6:22 and 23a (ESV), “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven;”

We will receive an unfading crown. 1 Peter 5:4, “And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

We will see His face. Revelation 22:4 (ESV), “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”

There will be no more curses. Revelation 22: 3 (ESV), “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

Our earthly tribulations will be ended.

If you are facing, living through, and enduring a particularly difficult season right now, be encouraged, this season will last for only “a little while”. Read God’s Word and spend some time fellowshipping with God’s people so that you will be encouraged and have your faith built up..

Take heart, from one who is getting older - when looking back, the current journey compared to eternity is very short.

I will end with 2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Have a wonderful week walking with the Lord. He is ever faithful!

Unless noted all Scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation.

ESV English Standard Version

CSB Christian Standard Bible

NIV New International Version

NKJV New King James Version