Where Will You be a Million Years from Now?

I realize that such a title may seem somewhat nonsensical since we all know that eternity has no limit. The day after we die, we will have no fewer days in eternity! In fact, as the ages go by, whether we speak of 1,000 years or a trillion years, we are speaking nonsense. There are no “years” in eternity. A trillion, trillion, trillion years will be the same as a single year—or a moment—in eternity!

When I visit our old family cemetery in Pennsylvania, I can see the evidences of age in the tombstones. This will especially be the case in a mere century. How much more a thousand years or a million years! When you see a tombstone, I challenge you to think of it in this way yourself!

Many years ago, someone sent me a tape (this would have been before the era of CDs) with a recorded song entitled “Where Will You be a Million years from now?” Most of my songbooks do not carry this song but I think that at least one does. Since that time, I have listened to and sung that song again and again, with much profit.

Here are the lyrics:

Just one life to live on Earth
And it swiftly passes by
From the moment of our birth
Till the time has come to die
God has given us this choice
To decide our destiny
In a million years where will you be

Where will you be a million years from now
Will you be happy, will you be singing
While ages roll throughout eternity
I ask this question where will you be

In the Bible we are told
Of a day that soon will come
When the people of this Earth
Will be gathered at God’s throne
When you stand before His throne
There for all the world to see
Will He say well done
Where will you be

It is hard to understand or realize that after death, the way we keep time on earth will change. A thousand years? Psalm 90:4 says, “A thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night.” Our days on earth will soon be past but we will continue on.

Just yesterday I received a message on the computer by a high school friend to keeps track of those students who die. Again, a girl (and now an older woman) has gone. I recall that she (Gretchen) was in my Lutheran class at about age 12 or 13 (that prepared us for “confirmation”), then she went through High School with me and all others. According to the obituary, she eventually left for another state and then taught in a Catholic school for some years (maybe 30?). Of course, then she came to the time of her death.

This is the way it will be for all of us. We are here one day but soon we breathe our last and die. The song mentioned above says much. I know that there could be a problem or two about the theology here but one line says, “Where will you be a million years from now?” This is a question that we must ask. It is not that we decide whether God will accept us, but we must face God in judgment and then the vast reaches of eternity are before us. Where will you be? Where will I be?

As the song above asks us: Where will you be a million years from now? If you are like me, this is not to be taken lightly. This is a question that demands an answer and it is a soul-searching one that touches our heart and soul!

After all, as another song has it, “we only go around once.” We need to remind ourselves again and again that our life will soon be over and we will not have an opportunity to do this twice. We are given only one life. As the booklet has it, “Only one life, it will soon be past!” We need to realize this and live by it!

It seems that a million or billion years will be long (after all, this would be endless!) but we need to go on and on, with trust in God, and regardless of the real length, we must look to Jesus, do His will, place our faith in Him, and not be pulled into the quagmire that so many of us fall into.  May we live for Christ Jesus now and live lives to bless others!