“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3, NIV)
One of the most enjoyable golf conversations you can have if you are an enthusiast of the game centers around best holes you’ve ever played. Sitting around the table after 18 holes, someone might ask, “OK, what’s the best first hole in the area?” And the chatter goes on from there. An hour later, with all the back-and-forth completed, you’ve put together the dream course you’d build if you could move all those great holes to one location.
Heaven is this very thing in many people’s minds: a dream. It’s an assemblage of all that is good about earth, from fine meals to dear friends to long walks on the beach to birdies on golf’s most glorious holes. Call it life’s greatest hits, if you will.
But what if this is only a myth? What if heaven is something entirely different, maybe even something we’d never choose? Is it OK to want to stay here, soaking up what we enjoy most, even if there’s the occasional downer added to the mix?
These are fair questions. Many quality people have opined that they would not want an existence where all they did for eternity was sing worship choruses with the angelic choir. But quality people want to be right, and they’re looking for the truth about heaven just like the rest of us. So we ask, what’s in store for eternity?
The writers of Scripture, as led by the Holy Spirit, do not give us a detailed picture of heaven’s daily activities. You may even be surprised to discover that where we will live into eternity is not in heaven after all, but on a new earth—which may lead us to a whole other set of questions about the life to come. But there are certainly answers to be found. Here are a few:
– Heaven and earth will be different than what we see before us. (Rev. 21:1)
– Our eternal home will be beautiful. (Rev. 21:10-11)
– Our own existence will be renewed, with new bodies free from sin and disease. (1 Cor. 15:42-44; Rev. 21:4)
– God’s glory will be undeniable and ever-revered. (Rev. 4:6-11)
We cannot know every detail of heaven from this side of eternity. But we can trust that the glorious glimpses we are given in Scripture point to something far outstretching earth’s greatest hits. We can count on glory and wonder and awe.
—
Jeff Hopper
June 22, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Street Wise 1: Defeating Bad Ideas
Street Wise 2: Who’s in heaven?
Street Wise 3: Is sincerity enough?
Street Wise 4: Trusting the Bible
Street Wise 6: Thoughts and prayers
Street Wise 7: Christ and freedom