Eternal – November 7, 2020

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.
Revelation 14:6

Eternal

For lovers of history, it is a dream location. If you drive through central Wyoming along State Highway 220, you can’t miss it. From the proper angle, it looks like a giant cereal bowl turned upside down. It is called “Independence Rock.” Independence Rock is 12 stories high. If you get out of your car and walk around the base, you’ll be walking for more than a mile. During the 1800s, Independence Rock was a major landmark along the Oregon Trail. Pioneers in covered wagons knew that if they could reach it by the Fourth of July, they were on schedule to finish their journey and get settled before winter. Many carved their names into the rock. You can still see their names today.

But for those who love history, here’s something about Independence Rock that is, perhaps, the most powerful. If you climb to the top and look around, you’ll see virtually no evidence of 21st Century civilization. There are no towns, no gas stations, no motels. In fact, if you climb back down and travel a bit further, what you will find are the ruts left by the covered wagons from so many years ago.

In a world where rapid change is the norm, it is a comfort for some to know that there are still some places that have changed very little.

Such a sense of comfort, however, is nothing in comparison to the comfort that comes from something that is truly permanent—the permanence that comes from the eternal gospel about Jesus Christ.

No matter how old you get, no matter what changes you see, the eternal gospel remains the same. No matter how many times you have failed, no matter how often you have disappointed others, the eternal gospel remains the same. No matter how heavy the guilt from your past, no matter how chaotic your present or how uncertain your future, the eternal gospel remains the same. The gospel message that God came to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, that he lived and died as your Substitute to wash away your wrongs, that he raised himself back to life to assure you that all is well—every part of that message remains the same. None of it will ever change.

And that is a beautiful thing to know.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the same yesterday and today and forever, and so is your gospel. For this priceless comfort, I thank and praise you. Amen.