MORE SQUARES ON THE CALENDAR?
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
John 17:3 (NIV)
We often think about eternity in the only terms we know—time. When we imagine heaven, it’s easy to picture an endless extension of our calendars: more days, more tomorrows, more squares stretching forever across the page. Life just… continuing. But Scripture suggests something deeper. Eternal life is not simply more time; it’s a completely different kind of life. It’s not defined by duration but by relationship. Eternity begins not when the calendar runs out, but when our hearts awaken to the presence of God.
I remember when I was struck by this truth. I was sitting on the back porch early one morning. The air was cool, the sky was still gray, and I had a cup of coffee in my hands and my Bible open in my lap. Nothing dramatic happened—no thunderbolt of revelation. But for a few quiet minutes, everything slowed down. My mind wasn’t racing ahead to the day’s tasks. My phone wasn’t buzzing. I sat there, aware that God was near. It felt strangely full—like time had deepened instead of just passing. When I finally looked at the clock, I was surprised to see that only ten minutes had passed. It had felt like much longer. Not in a boring way, but in a rich way, like a moment that somehow held more life inside it than usual.
In other words, heaven isn’t just more squares on the calendar. It’s the end of the restless feeling that there’s never enough time. It’s the end of rushing, worrying and feeling pulled in a thousand directions. It’s life finally centered around the One our hearts were made for. And the beautiful truth is that this kind of life doesn’t start someday far away. It begins now, whenever we slow down enough to seek Him.
God transcends the sequence of time itself.
R.C. Sproul
APPLICATION: Sit quietly today.
PRAYER: Lord, help me stop rushing through life and start noticing You in the quiet, everyday moments. You are the One who really makes life full, not just more time on the calendar. Teach me to live in the experience of Your presence, trusting that every small moment with You is already a taste of heaven. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don't let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?