Feeling Good Before the Pain

To avoid waking others at night I navigate through the house in the dark. Sometimes to my dismay I stub my toe on something which I knew was there, but paid little heed to it. As I scream in agony at the pain, I wish I had taken precautions before to avoid the agony that I now feel so intensely

It's strange! We seldom think how comfortable we are or appreciate the lack of stress or pain until we feel the agony of it all. People never walk around thinking "I feel so good right now,"  but when hurt comes about they think how good they had it before.

Sometimes I still glide about in my dark house. I remember the pain from times before. I navigate using my outstretched hand to gently encounter obsracles my toe chooses to avoid. That's wise!  Wisdom is utilizing the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). I know that there are obstacles out there and pain may ensue if I ignore what is true. Wisdom is preparing the way to avoid pain and then using discernment when walking the way to avoid hurt!

That brings me to my point. People may not like it, but mortality is inevitable!  We can do things to avoud physical death and that's wise, but regardless of the safe path we take, we're still going to die! Because we now live we seldom hazard thoughts on death. We glide through the dark, at least most people do, without realizing that our toes will be stubbed one last time! That's going to happen.

Even less often do people think about eternity. Why? Because right now nearly everyone is too comfortable in their ignorance! Other than my cold I feel pretty good right now. I spend little time thinking "Ah! I feel good!" It's when I feel pain that I wish to return to what had been before. I feel good because God blesses me. Few people give God the credit for just being!

When people feel good they are less likely to think on pain, but preparing the way to a destination to avoid pain is wisdom! That destination is truth and Jesus is the Way to Truth (John 14:6). That destination is heaven, the throne of God and where he sits.

There is another destination! That place is eternal damnation which we refer to as hell. It is the place of eternal agony. It's where our big toe (pride) is stepped on hard. When it bangs on reality the whole being will cry out in extreme agony.  Walking in the dark without the Light of Jesus is how those who fail to turn on his Light will meet the ultimate agony!

Jesus right now extends his hand to everyone as they walk in the dark. Wisdom is taking his hand and letting him comfort you through life. Jesus will make you safe because he will avoid the path to destruction.. It's a narrow path and few will take it because things feel so good right now! Wisdom is shirking immediate gratification for a eternity of bliss!  It's taking the path to a safe place although fun is at hand.

I know! Right now for many things are going so well, why try to avoid a pain that maybe you hope is not there? You see there is a "hope of salvation" for the Christian, but for the unrepentant there is the "hope that hell is not for real!"  The truth is that "hell is real" and now when times are good we must take the safe path to avoid that eternal pain!

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"

Things are going so well for most that they approach eternity through the wide gate which leads to destruction.  Broad is the way thereto, and in the end the soul will have stubbed it's apathetic toe. The wise will consider the strait gate and narrow path. Never trade the good you feel right now (the absence of pain) for an eternity full of agony!