On judgment day, a man approaches the Lord and says, “I have some big questions that much of mankind spent centuries pondering.” The Lord replies, “Very well. Ask five questions.”

So the man says, “Where did we come from? Why are we here? Who’s to say what’s right and wrong? What happens after we die? And on a personal note, will I get to see my grandfather again?”

The Lord answers them in order, one by one: “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3). Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30-31). We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (II Corinthians 5:10).

“And lastly, your grandfather was here a few moments ago, but he has gone to a narrow gate from which you are not permitted to pass. You see he actually already knew the answers to all your questions. He taught them to you as a child, discussed them with you as a young adult and circled them in his Bible, which he gave you later in life. That Bible – and all the answers to your questions – gathered dust on your bookshelf for the remainder of your life. Rather than follow the blessing of a wise example, you let the priceless word of God leave your conscience as meaningless activities of life supplanted it. Depart from me.”

People have always foolishly drifted further from God as they’ve moved closer to an earthly enlightenment, a worldly wisdom – one that the previous generations somehow didn’t grasp. It’s a tale told over and over in scripture, offering warnings like, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

For those of us raised in homes of faith, how often do we recall the older generations sleeping in on Sunday morning, leaving their Bible on a shelf for all but a couple of hours a week, or cringing when someone inserted scripture into a casual conversation? It rarely, if ever, happened back then, but all has become commonplace these days.

Proverbs 19 says, “Accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

The next time one of life’s questions seems to call for a forward-thinking approach, try looking to the past generations for answers – and especially to that dusty bookshelf.

– Adam Sparks