Judy White Edelson, in her Newsweek article "Not All Bridges Can Be Burned," recalls a remark her mother made whenever Judy did or said something foolish. "That will go into your permanent record," she would say. Judy admits she laughed at that warning. As a young person she anticipated "a long, full lifetime to make mistakes and explore endless possibilities."

But in her late forties it dawned on her that a record has been kept. There's a record in her memory bank, in her character, and in the lives of people she has interacted with.

That's not the only record being kept. There's also one being kept by the all-knowing, everywhere-present God. A time is coming when all the dead will stand before the Creator-Judge. His books will be opened, and those assembled in His awesome presence will be "judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Rev. 20:12).

But another book will be opened on that day--the Book of Life. Only the names of those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior are written in that Book. "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life [will be] cast into the lake of fire" (v.15). Is your name in that book?  — Vernon C. Grounds