Listen to Audio Devotion
Luke 16:22–25 LEB
22 Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus at his side.
24 And he called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!’
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.
“What about my future?” is a question we all have. We desire to know our future in various ways. Fortune telling is one of the oldest known professions. Even in Christian circles, the feeling is mutual. But our desire is constantly to seek God’s will in our lives, and how we ought to live. But as the worries of the world creep in, the desire soon becomes about how much money I will be making 5 years from now? How will my health and physique be in 10 years? How polarized will society be for my children or grandchildren? These are genuine questions. Even leaders in ministries prayerfully draw out 5-year plans, 10-year plans, and so on. There’s really nothing wrong with that. It’s definitely good to plan. The saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” And that is definitely a wise saying.
But the question here is, do you have a 100-year plan? Statistically speaking, we will all be dead by the end of 100 years. So then what? Job also had the same question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14, LEB). It’s too easy for us to believe in an afterlife, but it’s tough for us to comprehend hell eternal suffering, or any idea that points towards that. Now that feeling is not a conclusion that is drawn from a study of the scriptures, but purely based on our sentiments.
Though I had my biblical exegesis in place, the same sentiments arose in me today as I learned about the untimely death of a 30-year-old, young man, who happened to be an unbeliever. I’m confident that everyone listening to this devotion will be dead in 100 years and on their eternal trajectory. It is the same place that you will be a thousand years and a million years later.
Luke 16:26 LEB speaks of the great chasm that exists between heaven and hell. It’s not an eternal seasonal variation of a few degrees. What we do know is that the two places are poles apart. At the end of the next 100 years, the believer won’t have to appeal, and the unbeliever won’t have any appeals left. Have you made your eternal plans? I urge you this morning to repent and believe in Jesus Christ and what he has done to save sinful humanity. You can make an appeal now, through Jesus.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, I want to give myself away to you. I want to be sold out to you. I want to serve you. You be my Lord, my Master. You bore my sin on the cross and have victory over death. I believe you. Let all the praise belong to You alone for eternity. In Your name, I pray. Amen.
