ONE LIFE ONE HEAVEN (Leviticus 22:31)
The new solo piano piece One Life One Heaven was inspired by Leviticus 22:31, “Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.” The initial idea for the music came from the phrase “You only live once,” which kept circling in my head for more than a month leading up to its composition. The cultural view of “You only live once” is mostly rooted in the idea that this life is all you’ve got, and to make the most of it, without considering our eternal destination. This brought to mind the latin phrase “Carpe diem,” which means “Seize the day.” I discovered it was first written in 23 B.C., and that the literal meaning and intent was to urge people to value the present moment because time and life are short. It was often paired with the concept of memento mori ("remember you must die”). Rather than an aggressive hustle-culture mandate to conquer the future, it is an invitation to appreciate the present.
Hebrews 9:27-28 addresses how we are destined to die once, and how Christ brings salvation to those who are waiting for Him. Psalm 39, which inspired my song But for a Moment on the album Eternal Beauty, speaks to pausing in God’s presence, to practicing being before doing, to living in the present, as we seek to let our lights shine before others and to live for God’s glory (Matthew 5:16). Every time the phrase “You only live once” came to mind, I had a sense of God whispering to me, “I know. That’s how my creation of you and all people has been from the very beginning, from before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5) to your future and forever eternity with me (John 3:16), or spending eternity a part from me (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).” These verses brought humility and repentance in confessing my sin to God, and awe and wonder in receiving His grace and forgiveness.
“You only live once” and “Seize the day” motivate me to life life to the fullest, to make the most of every moment, with a grateful heart and an Ecclesiastes 3:11 perspective, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” The central theme of Leviticus is holiness—specifically how a holy God can dwell in the midst of a sinful and imperfect people. The notes and melodies in One Life One Heaven express my desire for holiness and my longing for eternity in heaven, and God’s response that only He is holy, to do what He says, to live what He says, because He is God. Through many years of surrender, seeking to Hear God’s voice, and investigating His Word, I have found Him faithful in all things. Thank you Jesus for the gift of life and heaven.
How does One Life One Heaven speak to you?
Leviticus 22:31 (MSG)
Do what I tell you; live what I tell you. I am God.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified Bible)
He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.
John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:27-28 (NIV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (NIV)
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.
Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.