....."Make it the business of life to prepare for Heaven". (By Esther Burr, daughter to the great Jonathon Edwards).

I am currently reading the biography of Jonathon Edwards, and one chapter gives special attention to the His daughter Esther. She wrote the above quote to a freind of hers. As I read it, one of those "Selahs" came all over me. Pause and think of that.

Think about all the pursuits of man; all the hopes and dreams of so called success in this life. They are virtually endless in variation, and yet only one is worthwhile.

I dont' know about you, but I've spent most of my life chasing after rainbows of my own design. My pursuits have been vanity through and through. Most of my hopes were dashed on the rocks of sin and weak flesh leading me around like a pig with a nose ring.

When I stand before God and give account for the stewardship of my time, there will be precious little to show for the years He has blessed me with. I am truly sorry Lord.

Much of the time I didn't know any better. I knew much of what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't know how to make it right. I had lofty goals, but lacked the drive and ambition to see it through. I played and sinned. I wasted hours, days, weeks, months, years and decades....even most of a life time.

I can't go back and reclaim time. Noone can. All I can do is throw myself upon the heart of His mercy and beg in repentence for forgiveness. I can hope that somehow, someway, He can use my loss as someone else's gain. I pray that the time I have left will be used for more fruitful pursuits...or pursuit. Jesus and souls. Jesus and souls. Jesus and souls. I'm so hungry for God. I'm so hungry to see souls added to His crown. I desperately want my vessel to be used of God for His glory. Yet the ball and chain on my leg "seems" no less heavy today than it did a year ago.

What can I do but bow before Him in shame? What can I do but hope in the love of Calvary's victory?

If you are a young person reading this, it doesn't have to be that way for you. Don't waste your life and it's youth on pursuits that profit you nothing. Seek Him. Seek Him. Seek Him. If you have Him you have it all. If not you are destitute beyond description. Live your life and make it the pursuit of your life to store His true riches in the heavenly realm. The "american dream" is a lie. The "top of the ladder" is as empty as the Liberty Bell. There is no value to life without God.
The bibles says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. This is the only pursuit that pays the wages of abundant and everlasting life. The comparison of the universe to a grain of sand cannot help us to comprehend eternity. As the beloved James said, our "life is but a vapor". How long does that last? What is it's real value if Heaven is not it's final destination? Lord, please have mercy on me. Oh God help me this day.

Well put! Amen and Amen!

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Mark

Amen

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Michael