February 20, 2021
John 14:1-4, ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Heaven is real. It is creation regained. It is the world as it was made to be, complete with no sin. Jesus goes there first, to be at the right hand of God, but we will follow him. He leads us there, his prize won in victory (Ephesians 4:8), and we follow him in the train of his robe. It’s ok for us to imagine what heaven will be like. Avoid sentimentality and Hallmark cards. it’s probably not like that. What is pure creation? Nature at its fullest without corruption, human relationships at their fullest without corruption - food, music, hugs, cooperation, tasks, peace - all of these things will be part of the picture. Revelation gives us a glimpse into the new heavens and new earth, but when you dig deeply into the picture it is a re-creation of Eden, the place where God dwells with his people. Even the temple (the dwelling place of God) hints at this reality. The instructions were for carvings in the wood of robust fruit everywhere, rivers flow from it, and in the center is the presence of God. You can long for Heaven - it’s our reality - our future. And then we can take that image of Heaven in our minds and get to work on it right now - thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Prayer: “Lord, we thank you for making it possible for us to be with you forever. You have gone to make a dwelling place for your people for all eternity, and we long to be there with you. Help us to bring the kingdom into this world right now, as you are in the process of renewal, and your church is a part of that. Help us in light of your grace, avoid sin and glorify your name in all that we do. Amen.”
40 Days of Joy: You know what rocks? Photography. Got to love how extraordinary artists can capture not just light in a moment, but a whole story. People are really fantastic as subjects and an image can hold before us a meditation on what it is to be made in God’s image. This photo won an award for best photography in 2020, and I love it!
