Tuesday, February 7, 2023
In our daily lives, we hear a lot about heaven. Movies, TV shows, and books all paint a different view. Oftentimes, heaven is portrayed as a kingdom above the clouds with angels and a golden gate. While this is beautiful, it is missing the greatest reality about being in heaven: that we will encounter God face-to-face. Experiencing the presence of God is difficult to fully comprehend; it will be far greater than anything our human minds could possibly think of.
In heaven, God himself will be with us and we will be his people (Revelation 21:3). We will feel God’s love exude from himself—an infinite number of times greater than the deepest love or joy we could ever possibly experience here on earth. His presence will be felt keenly everywhere. The sin, that without Jesus separates us from God, will no longer exist. Nothing will get in the way. The “God-shaped hole” in our human hearts will finally be filled—never again will we feel lonely or empty.
In heaven, we will no longer experience sadness or grief or other complicated emotions that can get in the way of our relationship with God. We will have unlimited access to God for all eternity—we will never feel the pain of living without him. Each and every one of God’s children will exist in a perfect relationship with their Father, forever.
We saw a piece of heaven come down to earth in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a life in perfect communion with God and gave us a glimpse of heaven here on earth. He showed his followers what it will one day be like to dwell amongst God. Take heart that, although God feels distant sometimes, there will come a day when we live in his presence forever. We will no longer experience the sin or shame that can make us feel separated from God. Christ paid the price for us and gave us the gift of eternal life with God. Nothing can take that away from us.
Revelation 21:1-3:
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
Questions:
When do you feel most connected to God?
How did Jesus Christ show us what it will be like to one day encounter God?
Next Steps:
Consider taking the next step of baptism to publicly show the promise of new life in Christ.
Read Revelation 21. Discuss with a friend what we will see and experience in the new heaven and new earth.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that one day you will dwell amongst us forever. Help me to face my daily battles knowing that one day, you will perfect everything in heaven and on earth. Thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to give me the gift of eternal life and to show me what it is like to be in your presence. Thank you for allowing me to experience your abundant and eternal love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer. Isabelle is a regular attender of CedarCreek and serves in the children’s ministry. She is passionate about writing and loves spending time with her family and friends. Her goal is to show people the love of Jesus Christ.