First Corinthians 2:9
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.
We Can Only Imagine
Perhaps God never gave us a complete or more vivid description of heaven because we’d all be in too big of a hurry to get there. We know it must be off-the-charts beautifully glorious. Shouldn’t the joy of being a Christian consist in knowing that our citizenship is already reserved for us (Phil. 3:20) and part of that joy will be shedding this frail, feeble body for one that is similar to Jesus’ glorious body right now (Phil. 3:21)? If we could only catch a glimpse of the New Jerusalem that will descend out of heaven someday, we might want to skip the rest of our life and go directly there (Rev. 21:1-2). The best part I believe is that we will be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who is the King of that kingdom (Rev. 21:3). No wonder Paul said that it would be far better to be with the Lord than anything that he could still do on earth (Phil. 1:23), even though he knew he still had work here to do for Christ(Phil. 1:24).
Tears Today, Joy Tomorrow
A precious part of the kingdom of heaven will be that God will wipe away every tear, and gone forever will be all sorrows, all pain, all mourning. Even death itself will finally disappear (Rev. 21:4). Just trying to describe the glorious beauty of heaven took the Apostle John several verses (Rev. 21:9-26), and even that falls far short of what the reality must be. We might shed tears today in this sinful world, but we will rejoice in the kingdom when all evil will vanish forever (Rev. 22:4). Is the confidence of knowing you’re going to heaven one of your greatest joys? Do you think about it much? Paul said that no matter how bad it gets here, nothing can compare with what is to come on that day (Rom. 8:18). That’s why Paul wrote that nothing in the human imagination could even comprehend what is coming for those who love God (1 Cor. 2:9).
The Ancient Desire for Heaven
King David must have dwelt on the kingdom of heaven, for he had a deep desire to dwell in the Lord’s house forever (Psalm 27:4). God has placed eternity in the hearts of men and women (Eccl. 3:11), so whether we live until tomorrow or die, we should encourage one another with the hope we have in Christ (1 Thess. 5:10-11). Jesus promised the disciples that He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them and that He would come again to bring them to where he was (John 14:2-3). So imagine how glorious this place must be since He’s had such a long time to prepare a place for us as well. Our inheritance cannot be touched by corruption or decay, nor can it fade away or be defiled (1 Pet. 1:4). Shouldn’t this hope and sure confidence of our destination in the kingdom of heaven be one of the greatest joys we have? With that hope, we should live today with the end in mind.
A Closing Prayer
Father God in heaven, thank You for the hope we have in the eternal home and eternal life with You that is coming someday. Please remind me that this joy is something that no one can ever take away, and in the hopes of praising in person the very King of the kingdom, I pray in His righteous name.
Amen
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