An Eternal Instant

An Eternal Instant

Max Lucado

READ Song of Solomon 1:1-27

SITUATION Solomon's Song describes a relationship between a bride and a groom. Solomon and the Shulammite woman are about to be married in the kings palace. The woman was a peasant worker from Shunem, a farming town sixty miles north of Jerusalem.

OBSERVATION God gives marriage as a gift. It is a gift based on unquestioning commitment and unconditional acceptance.

INSPIRATION I sensed it as we were lying on the bed. It blew over me mixed with the sweet fragrance of fresh rain. My wife was lying silently at my side. Jenna was using my stomach for a pillow. She, too, was quite. Our second child only a month from birth, rested withing the womb of her mother. They must have sensed it, for no one spoke. It entered our presence as if introduced by God himself. And no one dared stir for fear it leave prematurely.

What was it? An eternal instant.

An instant in time that had no time . A picture that froze in mid-frame, demanding to be savored. A minute that refused to die after sixty seconds. A moment ghat was lifted off the time line and amplified into a forever so all the angels could witness its majesty.

An eternal instant.

A moment that reminds you of the treasures surrounding you. Your home. Your peace of mind. Your health. A moment that tenderly rebukes you for spending so much time on temporal preoccupations such as saving accounts, houses, and punctuality. A moment that can bring a mist to the manliest of eyes and perspective to the darkest life.

Eternal instants have dotted history.

It was an eternal instant when the Creator smiled and said, "It is good." It was a timeless moment when Abraham pleaded for mercy from the God of mercy, "But if there are just ten faithful." It was a moment without time when Noah pushed open the rain soaked hatch and breathed in the clean air. And it was a moment in the "fullness of time" when a carpenter, some smelly shepherds, and exhausted young mother stood in silent awe at the sight of the infant in the manager.

Eternal instants. You've had them. We all have.

Sharing a porch swing on a summer evening with your grandchild.

Seeing her face in the glow of a candle.

Putting your arm into your husband's as you stroll through the golden leaves and breathe the brisk autumn air.

Listening to our six year old thank God for everything from goldfish to Grandma.

Such moments are necessary because they remind us that everything is okay. The King is still on the throne and life is still worth living. Eternal instants remind us that love is still the greatest possession and the future is nothing to fear.

The next time an instant in your life beings to be eternal, let it. Put your head back on the pillow and soak it in. Resist the urge to cut it short. Don't interrupt the silent or shatter the solemnity. You are, in a very special way, on holy ground. (From God Came Near by Max Lucado)

APPLICATION Schedule a night to get away from pressing commitments. Create a time when you put the cares of the world on hold, and simply enjoy your family.

EXPLORATION Husbands and Wives -- Genesis 2:223-24; Proverbs 5:15-19, Ecclesiastes 9:9; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Ephesians 5:21-29, 33.

The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus - Max Lucado General Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New Century Version

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