I watched the coverage of the eclipse for two hours on television. I watched the hype before the totality, the amazement of less than three minutes of darkness, the “diamond” with the reappearing, and even the disappointed crowd where the clouds covered the awe-inspiring moment. Honestly, it would have been great to be one of the people watching the total eclipse. But it would have taken more. More time, more money, more preparation.
Similarly, many people will never experience the life-changing decision to follow Jesus because of “more.” It costs more. It costs living for self in exchange for living for the One who created the eclipse. It costs living for solely worldly pleasures for living with an eternal perspective. It may even cost one’s physical life. Some count the cost and turn the other way.
I can give many excuses for not watching the eclipse. The bottom line: I was not prepared. Yes, I had plenty of warning and plenty of opportunities to prepare. I even looked up how to make a safe eclipse-watching contraption out of cereal box, never making it. Likewise, you can know how to take a step of faith to follow Jesus, but never take the final step.
I can say I saw the eclipse. Debatable, I know. However, I can never say I experienced it. Therefore, I missed it. Comparably, many people will say they know Jesus. They know about His virgin birth, His miracles and even His death on the cross and resurrection. But knowing about historical facts is not the same as personally knowing Jesus. People miss Jesus.
I know some people who lived their lives today as if there was not an eclipse. It’s not that they did not know about it. It’s that they didn’t care. I’m not judging them. I get it. It may not interest everyone. For this analogy, many people do the same about Jesus. Yes, they may have heard the story about how He offers forgiveness for those who put their trust in Him. But, they simply do not care.
For those who missed the eclipse this week, you may get another chance. Our amazing, orderly, creator God has formed the atmosphere with precision to allow humans to predict the next eclipse. However, we are not promised tomorrow. One year from now, missing the eclipse will be very unimportant to me, not affecting my day-to-day life. On the other hand, missing Jesus will have eternal effects. No worries if you missed the eclipse, but don’t miss Jesus.
For more information: https://peacewithgod.net/but-have-eternal-life/