Who hasn’t wished at one time or another that he/she could start over with at least one different attribute?  “If only I’d been taller, smarter, faster or better looking.”  If you were granted one wish, which could be expressed in one word and had a day to meditate on it, what would it be?  Rather than blurt out some quick response, it would be much better to be analytical about it.  One might make a list of possibilities and decide the pros and cons of each one.  Wealth?  That could give one many more options in life, but it could also bring stress and loss of sleep worrying about how to protect those riches.  Health?  Not having to spend all one’s time and money on medicines and doctors would be a blessing, but one could still die young in an accident.  Knowledge, wisdom, compassion and many other choices could be considered, but all of them will have their ultimate fallacies.

King Solomon had that choice as he was about to succeed his father King David.  God asked him to choose one gift that he desired most.  He chose wisdom which pleased God and He told him would also bless him with wealth and honor (1 Ki 3:9-14) (2 Ch 1:7-12).  However, as Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes, wealth, pleasures, honor and even wisdom are “meaningless”  (Ecc 1:18) (Ecc 2:10-11) (Ecc 2:7-9).  He concluded, “The same destiny (death) overtakes all.” (Ecc 9:3).  Even if God gives man wealth, pleasure and honor so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, “a stranger enjoys them instead” (Ecc 6:2).  Jesus verifies this in his sermon about treasures on earth (Mt 6:19-21). 

So, since everything ends in death, what possible choice could one make?  How about immortality?  Not on this earth which will be destroyed by fire (2 Pe 3:10-13), but in the new heaven and new earth.  Those who know, love, honor and obey Christ will meet Him in the air and be with Him forever (1 Th 4:16-18).  He has promised eternal life in a place He has prepared for them in His Father’s house (Jo 14:2-4).  They will be given an imperishable new body which is spiritual (1 Cor 15:42-44).  The choice then should be very clear, temporary blessing now or never ending ones in heaven with the Godhead.

-Jim Bailey