(Updated from March 23, 2011)
“But
do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” — 2 Peter 3:8
Do you remember—or have you at least heard about—the “secret
decoder rings” from back in the day? Those rings let you break hidden codes in
notes or letters, revealing a deeper message or purpose.
Lately, I feel like I’ve been given a “decoder ring” of my
own—and I didn’t even need to buy Cracker Jack or drink Ovaltine to get it!
Along with it came a “code breaker” word: Eternity… or what I like to
call an eternal perspective.
As I read the Bible through this lens, I’m beginning to see
more clearly into the heart and thoughts of God. The more time I spend in His
Word, the more my thinking shifts from a temporal view to an eternal
one. And when that shift happens, Scripture almost seems to come alive in a new
way—like a door of understanding swings open.
I’ve come to see “eternity” as a true code breaker into the
mind of God.
Maybe it’s because we are so consumed with the “here and
now”—the daily grind of life—that we get stuck there. It can be hard to look
beyond what’s right in front of us and grasp something as vast as eternity.
Sometimes we even expect God to operate within our limited
perspective:
“Lord, why aren’t You doing something?”
“I know You can fix this—what’s holding You back?”
But the truth is… He is doing something.
Because God is focused on our eternal future, His way of
working often looks very different from what we expect. When we “put on” our
decoder ring and apply an eternal perspective, we begin to see that the very
struggles we face are shaping us for His Kingdom.
Scripture reminds us of this:
- “Consider it pure joy…
whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2)
- “Do not be surprised at the
painful trial you are suffering…” (1 Peter 4:12)
And then there’s Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11:23–27, he lists
intense hardships— "I have worked much harder, been in
prison... flogged...exposed to death again and again... beaten with
rods,.. stoned... shipwrecked,.. constantly on the move... been in danger from
rivers, bandits, from my own countrymen, from Gentiles; I have often gone
without sleep; I have known hunger ...thirst and...I have been cold and
naked..."
Yet in 2 Corinthians 4:16–18, he says:
“Therefore
we do not lose heart… For our light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes
on not what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Did you catch that? Even through all his suffering, Paul
kept his eyes fixed on eternity.
“Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” — Colossians 3:2
A few years ago, Tom and I walked through a particularly
difficult and stretching season. Nothing made sense, and it went completely
against what we thought should be happening, and against all common sense.
One morning during worship, I felt the Lord speak to my
heart:
“Linda, I do not make mistakes. I am not a man that I
would make a mistake—I am perfect. Even when things look out of control,
nothing is out of My control. You just need to trust Me.”
So… we did.
That season wasn’t easy, but we saw God move in incredible
ways—not only in provision, but deep within our hearts. Our faith and trust in
Him grew far more than they ever would have in comfortable seasons.
God’s loving hands use difficult moments to shape, refine,
and prepare us for His eternal purposes.
From Genesis 3:15 to Malachi 3:1, God promised the coming
Messiah. Generations came and went, each likely believing they would see Him in
their lifetime.
Yet thousands of years passed—including 400 years of silence
between the Old and New Testaments. In the “temporal” perspective, that is a
lot of years!!
Then Jesus came. And what did He talk about most? Think
about that for a minute…
The Kingdom of Heaven. John the Baptist, Jesus, and
His disciples all proclaimed:
“Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7)
Jesus spoke of His return, and it often felt imminent.
The disciples likely expected it soon—perhaps even within their lifetime.
Matthew 24:30 says "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,
and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Mark 1:15 says "The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent
and believe the good news!"
And here we are… over 2,000 years later. Yet when viewed through an eternal
perspective, it is soon.
Scripture says it will happen “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” (1
Corinthians 15:52).
God’s definition of “near” looks very different from ours.
I love how Henry Cloud describes time in his book Changes
That Heal:
“Time is an incubator for redemption.”
I love that! Being a visual person, after I read that, I
pictured eternity as an endless timeline, and our life on earth as a small
“Airstream trailer” placed within it. Before it—eternity. After it—eternity.
In order for us to be redeemed, God placed us in a “time
incubator” to provide for our redemption.
So, time is just a blip on the radar, a blink of an eye, a hick-up in
eternity... This life is just a brief moment… a blink… a breath.
Scripture paints this picture clearly:
“As for man, his days are
like grass…” (Psalm
103:15–16)
Jesus didn’t come to give us better temporary lives—He came
so that we might have eternal life (John 3:16).
When I slip on my decoder ring and look through the eternal
lens, it becomes clear:
God is far more concerned with what carries into eternity than what stays in
the temporary.
Healing has always been something I’ve wrestled with.
I believe it is still for today. I believe in the power of
the Holy Spirit. But why do we not always see healing? Why are some healed and
others not? Through the lens of eternity, things begin to shift.
In John 9, when asked why a man was born blind, Jesus
replied:
“…so that the work of God
might be displayed in his life.”
For God’s glory.
In John 5, many lay by the pool waiting to be healed—but
Jesus healed just one man. Why?
Because God is always working within a greater eternal
plan—one that reveals His glory in ways we may not fully understand.
He knows exactly how to reach hearts, reveal His love, and
accomplish His purposes.
“Let
us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
Recently, I met with a woman who was struggling with serious
health issues that had left her bedridden for a long time.
As she shared, I kept hearing the Lord say: “This is
connected to a prayer.”
So, I asked her, “Have you been praying for something
specific?”
She quickly responded, “Yes… I’ve been praying to go deeper
with the Lord.”
Then it clicked.
Before her illness, she had been so busy with life and
ministry that she had little time with Him. Now, in the stillness, she was
spending deep, meaningful time in His presence.
Through tears, she shared that she heard the Lord say: “I
missed you.”
Wow. God will go to great lengths to draw us closer—for our
eternal good.
As I prayed for her, I sensed the Lord say:
“She was healed, is healed, and is being healed.”
Don't you just want to say "excuse me? I don't quite
get that Lord...?" But again, we
need to take out our secret decoder rings and insert "eternal perspective”.
God declares in Isaiah 46:10: "I make known the end from the beginning, from
ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will
do all that I please."
So, in Him, healing is not just a moment—it is a complete
work across eternity.
Our bodies are just "tents" for our eternal
spirits and, because God proclaimed that we “would surely die” in Genesis 2:17, our
bodies will eventually need to go... So, He focuses more on our eternal
"emotional" and "spiritual" healing than on our
"physical" healing.
When I was a child at Disneyland, ticket books ranged from
“A” to “E”—and the “E” tickets were the best. They got you on the most exciting
rides.
That’s how I now see the eternal perspective. “E” for
Eternity! It’s the “E-ticket” and the best ride in the house when it comes to
understanding God.
So next time you read Scripture, try slipping on your
“decoder ring” and using the code breaker word: Eternity. See what opens
up.
Take Jeremiah 29:11, for example. While it applies to our
lives now, it takes on even deeper meaning through eternal eyes:
“For I
know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord… “plans to give you hope and
a future.”
Selah: Reflection and Pause
Take a moment to pause… breathe… and reflect.
- Where
in your life are you most focused on the here and now instead of
the eternal?
- Are
there situations that feel confusing, frustrating, or even painful that
might look different through God’s eternal perspective?
- How
have past seasons shaped your faith, even if you didn’t understand them at
the time?
- Is
there something you’ve been asking God to “fix” that He may actually be
using to form you?
- When
God asks, “Do you trust Me?”—what is your honest response?
Now ask the Lord:
“Help me to see this through Your eyes… not mine.”
Remember—what feels overwhelming in the moment may be
accomplishing something eternal beyond what you can see.
Reflection Question:
What would change in your current situation if you truly embraced God’s eternal
perspective instead of your temporary one?
“But
do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” — 2 Peter 3:8