Articles
To Be There!
Most of us live on a rather short tether, seldom venturing far from home. We hear of places we’ve never seen and may try to imagine what it would be like to see: Alaska, Hawaii, Vienna, Beijing, Melbourne, or some other distant land that incites our curiosity.
Even though it was way back in 1969 when someone from our world first stepped onto the moon, so very few have made the journey. What a challenge it is to imagine a lunar visit, but we now know it’s possible.
But—and here’s the greatest wonder of all—what must it be like to be not on some heavenly body but in heaven itself? To see God our Creator in all His majestic glory! To look upon the face of Christ who once came to live in our world so we could come live in His! To see the myriads of angels who are presently serving us behind the scenes, and to meet the great ones whose stories we have so often read in the Bible—Noah, Abraham and Sarah, David, Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul!
Do you believe it? Can you grasp it? Are you living each day with this as your goal—to be there?
Abraham “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” The patriarchs “confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own . . . . they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:10, 13-14, 16 NASB).
If we never get to see the Himalayas or the Amazon or visit Scandinavia or the Great Wall of China, will it really matter? But if we miss the glories of heaven itself, nothing else will matter! The Lord has made a way for us to be there—not just for a visit, but forever and ever!
“For our citizenship is in heaven . . .” (Philippians 3:20).
