If a man promises you something forever, he is playing with the truth. Nothing is forever.
The statement above likely qualifies as proverbial, but it is certainly not from Proverbs. In fact, it is not from scripture at all. It is a quote from a book I recently read (a historical novel, for what it is worth), and it has stuck in my mind. The reason I continue to think about it is because it has a ring of truth to it. As human beings, we understand that in our world there is very little that lasts. Our world is filled with songs, poems, etc., for instance, that speak of this ‘truth’—nothing is forever. To be more specific, and the quote does specify this—nothing is forever if it originates in the mind or heart of humanity. “If a [person] promises you something forever . . .”
Scripture tells us of things that are forever—that are eternal. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 about the truth that love is forever: “Love never ends.” The writer of Hebrews encourages us with this quote, “[He] will never leave you nor forsake you.” Many, many places in scripture remind us that the steadfast love of God is forever. Psalm 90 tells us that the God we worship is forever, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”
There is great comfort and great peace in knowing that the God we worship is “from everlasting to everlasting.” And there is great peace and comfort in knowing that this God is OUR God. He is the only true God. He is forever. Because of this, we who are in Christ are the children of this great, eternal God. This means we, too, are forever.
–Ricky