Which Will It Be?

06/28/2008

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live
the good life in the homes of the wicked. Psalm 84:10 (NLT)

Feeling a bit down? Having a bad day? Got troubles enough for ten people? Have I got the answer for you!!… Does this sound like a commercial? Well it’s not, but when we discover what Hell is like in comparison to this world, today’s trials will diminish in size and we’ll also know why Jesus paid such a high price to save us from going there! We need to warn anyone who will listen, not to make the eternal mistake of putting off the decision of Heaven or Hell. Today is the day of salvation!

Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us here on earth—the only guarantee we have is an eternal life somewhere. This good old day is just as good a day as any to figure out where that somewhere will be. One place, Heaven, has been prepared for us, one place, Hell, was not designed for us. Which will be our eternal home? No matter how terrible things on this earth can get, it doesn’t even come close to what being in Hell will be like. Some think this world is “Hell enough,” but this world doesn’t even compare to how bad things can get. No wonder the Apostle Paul could sing in his prison cell, perhaps waist high in sewage. He could do that because God was still with him, there was still joy in his heart, and most of all, there was still some Hope. In Hell, there is no Hope and no way of escape. Such torment is so polar opposite from Heaven!

“How can a ‘good God’ send people to Hell?” That’s a question that has been asked through the ages. If God is good, if God is a loving Father, He wouldn’t do such a thing. God doesn’t “do such a thing.” We choose Hell over Heaven by denying the existence of a Father who loves us and His Son who saved us. Our good God is not “sending” people to Hell, but He wants us to know about it! Hell was not even designed for human beings, and sitting on the fence about a relationship with God is a dangerous place to be!

Why would Jesus die for us? Because Jesus is God, and He knew where we’d be going if He didn’t save us! Jesus knew it was worth it, that we are worth it to Him, because He loves us that much…more than words can say. Jesus’ actions on the Cross speak louder than any words we might hear. Jesus died to save us from eternal torment! What a Friend we have in Jesus, indeed!!

After understanding more about Hell, we might have a different perspective on even the worst this life has to offer. When we’re having a bad day, feeling down, or having troubles enough for ten people, compared to Hell, it’s not so much. Our life here is but a vapor, troubles here are but drops of water. The blessings of Heaven far outweigh the trials of this world, the pain of this world, and the losses in this world. We can begin to understand how minimal the very worst here is when we start to comprehend how terribly real Hell is. Sure, we’d rather not think about Hell, but one day we won’t have to if we are willing to give it some serious thought right now…