The Reality of Our Destination
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
We live in a world that does everything possible to avoid the subject of death. We celebrate youth, extend life, and fill our days with noise and distraction so we do not have to face the quiet truth that our lives are brief. Yet Scripture gently pulls back the curtain and reminds us that our days are “an handbreadth”—a span so small it can be measured across a palm. Like breath on a cold morning, life appears for a moment and then vanishes. The psalmist does not write these words to frighten us, but to awaken us. To know our frailty is not despair—it is clarity. Recently, while reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn, I was freshly challenged by his reminder that every person is moving steadily toward an eternal destination, whether we think about it or not.
The sobering reality is that eternity is not merely a distant theological concept; it is the destination toward which every life is moving. Because of sin, humanity does not drift naturally toward Heaven. Our hearts, left to themselves, move away from God rather than toward Him. Scripture speaks plainly: sin separates us from a holy God. That separation, if not healed through Christ, becomes eternal. This is why the gospel is not advice—it is rescue. The cross is not improvement—it is deliverance. As Alcorn emphasizes, unless our sin problem is resolved through Christ, Heaven is not our automatic destination. The realization that life is brief and eternity is certain is meant to drive us not to fear, but to Christ, the only One who reconciles us to God.
Believers through the centuries have lived with this awareness. Some wrote memento mori—remember you will die—at the front of their ledgers so they would weigh daily choices against eternal realities. This is not morbid thinking; it is wise living. When we remember that life is short, priorities sharpen. Relationships matter more. Sin loses its attraction. Faithfulness gains urgency. The brevity of life is not meant to darken our days but to brighten our focus, reminding us that our true home lies beyond the horizon of time.
Take an honest look at how you are spending your days—your time, your energy, and your affections. Are you living as though life on earth is permanent, or as though eternity is real and near? Let the brevity of life move you toward Christ, deepen your devotion, and shape choices that will matter forever.
"The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; And all the upright in heart shall glory." — Psalm 64:10
Daily Scripture Reading
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
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