via Record
An obituary typically consists of a brief biographical sketch of the deceased person from the vantage point of a friend or relative. The view received from this information is still an earthly view. While it may have a spiritual synopsis of the person’s life, often it is more about the nature of their character, the sum of past achievements, genealogy, etc. I know a few folks who still read the newspapers, whose favorite section is the Obituaries, because they like reading these short biographies of those who have passed.
Some people might even see this tribute as the “scorecard” for a life. However, keeping score this way may not necessarily be the healthiest approach to life here or the hereafter. If we are going to keep score, we might want to think more along the lines of what God keeps recorded in our eternal dossier. Of course, this assumes you know that God does keep records of some things, and those things are defined for us in the Bible. Allow me to give you a list of ten things God records, or has recorded over time; and will record until human history is over.
- God records and stores all the tears we shed.
Psalm 56:8
You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records? - God records my birth, my life, my death in days – before it happens.
Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. - God records the number of the stars and keeps record of their names.
Psalm 147:4
He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. - God keeps a Book of Remembrance of those who regard His name.
Malachi 3:16
At that time those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name. - God keeps track of people’s heavenly investments.
Matthew 6:20
But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. - God records the number of hairs on an individual human head.
Matthew 10:30
But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. - God records every idle word a person speaks.
Matthew 12:36
I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. - God records every Godly work of a person.
Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints–and you continue to serve them. - God records the general life of all humans.
Revelation 20:12
I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. - God records the name of every person who ever stepped over the line of faith into Christ.
Revelation 20:15
And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
An obituary is the record to be read by those who remain behind in this life, here on this earth. God’s records are for the person who has just passed. Specifically, God keeps a Book of Life where He records all those who have trusted Jesus as their savior. By definition this means there are those who haven’t, and what awaits them is not imaginable or desirable as an eternal destination. Does this give you pause? Because maybe it should. Maybe this is the moment of reflection and contemplation your whole life has been leading up to. In these ten simple statements you may recognize that all of life has meaning and purpose, but will your’s measure up to God’s standard?
What does your eternal dossier look like?
As I was saying... 