DCLM Daily Manna 23 September 2026: Keep Eternity in Focus
KEY VERSE: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 1:1–7
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
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American historian, William Hendrick Van Loon once sought to describe eternity and came up with this legend: “High up in the North, in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is one hundred miles high and ten miles wide. Once every one thousand years, a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its beak. When the rock has thus been worn away (from this activity), then a single day of eternity will have gone by.”
Today’s passage explains the transitory nature of life and the futility of human endeavours without acknowledging God. Surprisingly, men hardly learn from history but keep pursuing shadows. “What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?”
Eternity is viewed and perceived differently by various schools of thought. To some, it is a mirage, a religious concoction by religious overlords to enslave the ignorant and keep them as perpetual stooges. Others, superstitiously, assume people reincarnate after death, which is reflected in the names given to offspring at birth in some climes.
What, then, is eternity, and how does one live in its light? From the biblical point of view, eternity is associated with timelessness, a realm not bound by time, where the past, the present, and the future meet. It is associated with infinity. That is, an existence without end or bounds. It is also explained as the perpetual existence of God. It is the nature or attribute of God. The creation story relates man to God; like Him, all humans will exist forever. Apostle Paul corroborates the same truth in Acts 17:28: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
The physical body houses the soul and spirit. When death comes, the soul leaves the body and will continue to live forever, either in heaven, with God, or in hell, with Satan, in a horrible place meant for those who reject the mercy of God through Christ.
Life is worthwhile if a man sets his affection on the things above. Only Christ Jesus offers peace and pardon with eternal bliss for those who turn from earthly pursuits and follow Him. Outside Him, there is crisis and hopelessness after life in this age. There is no satisfaction in sin. In the long run, pleasure quickly turns to poison, resulting in sorrow and regret. Let us prepare for the promised peaceful and endless eternity, guaranteed only through Christ.
The Bible in One Year: Hebrews 1–4
Thought for the Day
Whatever your views about eternity, you will spend it somewhere.
DCLM Daily Manna 23 September 2026
