Now that you are basking in the warmth of a summer day, do you remember what the weather was like in January? Can you recall some of the forecasts you heard then?
"Chicago hits a new low of -27 degrees." "Buffalo, New York, digs out from under another major snowstorm." "Northern Utah sets a record low of -67 degrees." "Florida's citrus growers hit by severe freeze." "Inaugural parade canceled due to cold." "Phoenix, Arizona, gets first snow in nine years." On and on it went. Major portions of the United States seemed to be suffering under the onslaught of bitter cold and snow.
What was your reaction to all these forecasts? Probably you, like most of the rest of us, wanted to know how long it was going to last. We were all relieved to have the forecaster tell us that the weather would moderate by Wednesday, or that the snow would not accumulate more than two inches. At the very worst we knew that by March the cold and snow would be disappearing and we could look forward to spring.
The same is true of almost any unpleasant situation in which we may become involved. We can stand the cold, the pain, the discomfort, if only we know when it will end.
But you know, friend, there is one situation you are going to experience that will have no end in sight. You possess a soul that will never die, and that soul will spend a never-ending eternity either with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, or with Satan and his angels in the lake of fire.
Here on earth, no matter what pain you experience, there is an end in sight. You may grip the arms of the chair tightly and wince in pain as the dentist drills into your tooth, but you know the pain lasts only a few minutes. Even the most severe pain will usually yield to medication, but the torment of an eternity in the lake of fire has no end in view. Five minutes, five hours or five thousand years are all meaningless in eternity.
You prepare for a cold winter by putting on the storm windows and getting out your heavy coat. Have you prepared for eternity? The Lord Jesus invites you to come to Him today and have your sins forgiven. "Come unto Me," He says lovingly, "and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). "The blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Won't you accept Him today? Then you will be ready to spend a never-ending eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.