The Grave Cannot Hold the Messiah Who Gives Us Life

Psalm 16

 

(A Miktam of David)

 

Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.

I said to the LORD,

“You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.”

As for the saints who are on the earth,

They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.

The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;

I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,

Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You support my lot.

The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.

I will bless the LORD who has advised me;

Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

I have set the LORD continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. *

You will make known to me the way of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

 

(New American Standard Bible)

* See Acts 13:34-35

 

https://biblehub.com/nasb_/psalms/16.htm

 

 

2022

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved,

that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years,

and a thousand years like one day.

(2Peter 3:8 NASB)

https://biblehub.com/nasb_/2_peter/3.htm 

On television, I saw the New Year's Eve fireworks displays from some of the world’s major cities.  In New York City, crowds of people listened to a girl singer perform John Lennon’s New Age Mantra, Imagine, and then they counted down the seconds as they watched the fabled ball fall marking the beginning of 2022. 

Years ago, the New Year celebration was an excuse for my friends and me to get drunk.  Once in a while, one of us would “get lucky” with a girl.  We thought we were having fun.  Reveling and partying were what people were supposed to do to bring in a new year. 

Time as we measure it is “Earth time.”  It takes about 365 days for our planet to complete an orbit around the sun.  We call it a year.  It takes about 24 hours for the Earth to spin around once on its axis.  We call it a day.  The moon goes through its phases about once a month.  It is all relative to the chunk of matter that we live on.  We can apply our measurements of time to other planets, the speed of light, or the distance to the edge of our galaxy, but it is still based on the physical behavior of the Earth.  Take us out of the picture, and time (as we measure it) ceases to exist. 

In that sense, celebrating on New Year’s is a thing of this world, literally.  It is a chance for people to whoop it up, or to give your loved one a special kiss reaffirming your love for another year.  It does not amount to much, however, in light of eternity, and it is not worth breaking fellowship with God, engaging in rebellious behavior to usher out one difficult year in exchange for a newer model. 

God is eternal.  Before the beginning there was only God from all eternity past.  Our measurement of time is not binding on God, who through Jesus Christ created all things, including those things by which we mark the short years of our temporal existence.  God remains God now, and He will be our great God in Three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) forever. 

It is not wrong to hope for better times in 2022, or to take note of the passing years as we measure them.  Our focus, however, should be on the inexpressible joy of spending eternity in the presence of the Creator and Ruler of the universe. 

Please make it your New Year’s resolution to give yourself to Jesus Christ, to trust Him for eternal life, and to follow Him by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.