TEN THOUSAND YEARS

This week our country celebrated birthday number 237.  That seems like a long time, especially when you compare it to our average lifetime of about 80 years.  But when compared to eternity, it is just a small dot on that timeline.  Some hymn writers have used the term ten thousand years to try to help us understand the beginning of eternity. One of my favorite verses of any hymn is "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise then when we've first begun."  The writer of this week's song, Elmer Cole, uses the same idea.  "Ten thousand years, we'll just be started."  What a thrilling thought.  The night before my aunt died I asked her to tell my parents that I loved them and missed them.  She said that she would, but that she expected to spend the first ten thousand years in heaven just praising the Lord.  Now I don't know anything about the writer of this song except that he sang lead for the Statesmen from 1973-1974 and that he also performed with Willie Wynn and The Tennesseans.  But I have always enjoyed this song and when we had out family ministry this was one of our favorite songs to sing as a family.  It is tremendous to have the hope that as we near the end of our journey here on earth that we will soon meet Jesus, the One who gave His life for us.  I remember well the thrill and anticipation that I had in 1984 when I was going to meet and talk with President Reagan.  But that experience pales in the knowledge that soon we will meet the Creator of the Universe, our Lord and Savior.  And the first ten thousand years will just be the beginning of our eternity with Him.  Do you have that assurance and hope?  Do you know without a doubt that you will spend eternity with Him?  You can have that assurance today.  He told us that He was going to prepare a place for His children and that one day He would come again and take us to our eternal home.  And He will do just what He has promised.

(1)   Soon I'll come to the end of my journey

And I'll meet the One who gave His life for me

And I will thank him for the love that He gave me

And ten thousand years or more I'll reign with Him

Ten thousand years, we'll just be started

Ten thousand years, we've just begun

The battle will be over, and the victory is won

Ten thousand years, and we've just begun

(2)   We will just begin to sing loves sweet story

And it's a song that the angels they just could not sing

And I've been redeemed by the blood of my Savior

And ten thousand years or more I'll praise His name

Ten thousand years, we'll just be started

Ten thousand years, we've just begun

The battle will be over, and the victory is won

Ten thousand years, and we've just begun

For the battle is over, the victory's been won, ten thousand years 

and we've just begun.

Ten thousand years, and we've just begun

Listen to it here.   LISTEN