Placed In Our Hearts

Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today and Forever
by John Bevere

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What is in truth declared unreachable to our natural mind is placed in our heart by the Creator. Eternity is known in our heart. It is born in every human being. This is why "the fool has said in his heart, 'there is no God'" (Ps. 14:1, emphasis mine). Notice Scripture does not say, "The fool has said in his mind." There are many atheists who emphatically deny the existence of God, but in their heart they know He exists, for it is planted there. They've not yet hardened their heart to a complete degenerated state.

I have a friend who, years ago, was a staunch atheist, or so he thought. He wouldn't allow anyone to witness to him; in fact, he ripped a Bible from the hands of a coworker one day and threw it on the ground and stomped on it, cursing the man and his Bible. He accused this Christian man of being weak and brainless.

Later, after years of confessed atheism, he suffered severe chest pains. Doctors opened him up for exploratory surgery. They immediately closed him up and told him he had less than twenty-four hours to live.

While he lay on the bed that night, he realized he was going to his eternal abode and it was not at all where he wanted to end up. How did he know that since he would not allow anyone to share the Scriptures with him? Could it be he had eternity planted in his heart, just as Scripture states of all mankind, "For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts" (Rom. 1:19, NLT).

That night his heart stopped. He left his body and descended into deep darkness. The darkness was so thick he felt he was wearing it, not a glimmer of light could be seen. After falling for what seemed to be quite some time, he heard the horrifying screams of tormented souls. He was pulled by a strong force right up to the gates of hell when suddenly he was able to retreat back to his body. He had been revived.

The next morning he called for the only Christian man he knew. His friend came and proclaimed the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Once he'd received Jesus Christ into his life as Lord and Savior, his friend prayed for his healing. Three weeks later he walked out of the hospital and is still alive at the writing of this book. He's a walking miracle.

As an atheist, he proclaimed there was no God, yet eternity was planted in his heart. The fool, on the other hand, is the one who has not just denied God mentally, but has resisted in his heart to the point of a seared conscience. He is beyond reach. It's one thing to hold firm to a belief in your intellect, that can be changed; but it is quite another thing to completely harden your heart. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary gives this definition: "In Scripture the 'fool' primarily is the person who casts off the fear of God and thinks and acts as if he could safely disregard the eternal principles of God's righteousness."3

A fool can actually acknowledge God mentally, but he denies His existence in his heart, which is reflected by how he lives. The fear of God is what keeps our heart within reach of the Holy Spirit; if lost, there is no hope left for us. Paul said, "Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent" (Acts 13:26, emphasis mine). Only those who fear God are capable of hearing the Words of eternal life.

Eternity Defined

Eternity has been planted in our hearts, even though it's impossible to comprehend with our minds. So in defining it, I ask you to listen with your heart; in fact, the same is necessary to benefit from this entire book. How do you do this? First of all, acknowledge your need for the Holy Spirit to help you and ask for His assistance, which we have already done (see Introduction). He will commune with your innermost man, not head. Second, stop to ponder and meditate when your heart is stirred or gripped by a statement of truth. Don't race through this book; if you do, the benefit to you will be limited. To receive the full impact of God's eternal word to you, apply these two steps and you will be changed forever. David says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Ps. 119:11). Don't just read for a mental understanding, which can be easily forgotten or lost, but let His Word be hidden in your heart through contemplation and prayer.

Eternity is everlasting; there is no end. However, it's not just a matter of ceaseless time, as it is not subject to time. Eternity transcends time. To speak of eternity in terms of merely perpetual duration is to miss the full picture. To capture the best view of eternity, we must look at God Himself. He is not limited in power, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and all glory, just to name a few. He is self-existent; forever was and forever will be God. He is called the "Everlasting Father" (Isa. 9:6).Young's literal translation reads, "Father of Eternity." He is called the "King of eternity" (1 Tim. 1:17, AMP). All that is eternal is found in Him; in fact, eternity itself is found in Him. All that is outside of Him is temporal and will change. No matter how good, noble, powerful, or enduring it may seem, it will eventually cease. Even the earth and universe will change, but He will not:

Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will roll them up like an old coat.They will fade away like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will never grow old.

Hebrews 1:10-12, NLT

Not only will He never cease, but He remains eternally the same. Scripture declares:

"All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:24-25

He is eternal; therefore, what He speaks is eternal. He cannot lie, nor can what He says be broken. If it weren't so, then all would collapse into utter darkness, for He is light and upholds all things by His Word. There can never be a change to what He says, or else He would no longer be eternal. That is a sure foundation upon which we can build our lives.

Copyright © John Bevere, 2006

About the Author

John Bevere is passionate to see individuals deepen their intimacy with God and capture an eternal perspective. An international bestselling author with award-winning teaching materials, as well as a speaker at conferences and churches, John cohosts The Messenger TV program airing in 216 nations.