Good morning. Today is Monday, September 14th!

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— James 4:14

Francis Chan has a famous illustration with a rope that’s almost impossible to forget once you see it.

He holds up a long rope and asks you to imagine that it never ends. It just keeps going forever. That’s eternity.

Then he points to a tiny red section at the very beginning.

That’s your life here on earth.

Everything you’ve ever known is in that little red part. Your childhood, your family, your job, the people you love, the places you’ve been, and all the memories you’ve made.

There’s a lot of good in the red part. There’s laughter, friendship, good food, beautiful places, falling in love, raising a family, and all kinds of gifts from God.

But this is also life in a fallen world. The red part has sickness, heartbreak, stress, sin, funerals, and goodbyes. Our bodies get older, people we love die, and eventually our own earthly lives end too.

And naturally, the red part feels huge to us because we’re living in it right now.

We can see the bills. We can feel the heartbreak. We can enjoy the vacation. We can hug the people we love. Eternity is harder to picture because we haven’t experienced it yet.

But that’s exactly why the Bible keeps reminding us how small this life really is.

James asks, “What is your life?” and answers, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

That’s a pretty good description of the little red part.

It feels long while we’re living it, but compared with eternity, it’s here and gone.

Paul makes almost the exact same comparison when he says our troubles here are “light and momentary” compared with an “eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Then he explains, “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).

That’s the rope.

The red part is temporary. The rest is eternal.

And for those who belong to Christ, the rest of the rope isn’t just more time. It’s eternity with God.

Revelation gives us a glimpse of that future: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Think about that compared with the red part.

Here, we say goodbye. There, death is gone. Here, bodies break down. There, God makes all things new. Here, even the best moments eventually end.

Eternity doesn’t.

That doesn’t mean we should hate the red part. God put us here, and there is so much here worth enjoying. Love your family. Laugh with your friends. Work hard. Enjoy the gifts God gives you.

Just don’t mistake the red part for the whole rope.

Because right now it feels like everything.

One day, we’ll realize just how small it was.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: Lord, You are eternal, and Your kingdom will never end.

Confession: Forgive us for living like this temporary life is all there is.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for this life and the hope of eternity.

Supplication: Teach us to number our days and live them with eternity in mind.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

“This Little Light Of Mine” by Sam Cooke

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God