Have you ever walked through the woods and found a fallen Hickory or Oak tree uprooted and lying on the ground? I have. Have you ever gone back over the same territory and found that the giant tree had righted itself back up on its roots or if it had fallen from a stump uprighted itself to sit again squarely on the stump with new life in its roots? No? Neither have I. I have found many severed trees both from the roots and also from a stump. Yet, I have never found a tree that said, "Wow! I made a mistake by falling in this direction. I think I will get back up on my stump and draw new life from the ground." Each time that I've gone back over the same territory, the tree was still lying where they fell with progressive decay seen in ever increasing measure each time I pass by.
It seems that the scriptures say something about that from a spiritual sense. Ah yes, here it is:
Ecc 11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty [themselves] upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
There are certain things taken away from a man after he dies. Of course, he is deprived of his body, but there are other things that he is deprived of as well. He cannot repent. His affections that he dies with are cemented through out eternity, as is his total spiritual state, ages without end...the eons of eons. The tree cannot say to himself after he is hewn down, "I don't like lying in this direction. I'm going to get back up on my stump and the next time I fall, I will fall in a different direction." It has never happened.
For this reason Paul so much urged us in his letter to Colossi to "Set (cement them) your affections on things above and not on things below." The cause of heaven or hell which is realized by man after he leaves his earthly house, is that his affections within him before he departs this life calls to and answers to those affections found in his eternal home. Daily, a man's affections while in this life, calls to and responds to the affections from which they originate...whether it be heaven or hell. After death, he then goes to his long home, whether it be heaven or hell.
Ecc. 12:5 ...because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: This is so when the silver cord is loosed and his spirit is broken away from the body, it then takes its journey to dwell with kindred spirits forever.
Last night before I went to bed, I called to my long home where my affections lie. This morning quite early, I again called to my long home where my affections continue to lie. Each time, I get a signal back from home...my long home. Let us carefully set our affections on things above.
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