Heaven is a place that may or may not exist. We cannot prove it is there; although several people say they went there during a near death experience, came back to life on this earth and wrote a book to tell about what they saw.
If heaven is not a real place, then our view of eternity
is dim and our troubles on earth are intensified and depressing. Paul mentions
that, in Christ, our trials on earth are a drop in the bucket compared to
eternity (2 Corinthians 4:17); but if there is no heaven, then tribulation is
hopeless.
Believing in Heaven takes faith, which is hope for unseen
things (Hebrews 11:1). Yet, we have more than blind faith. Jesus lived on
earth, suffered crucifixion, died, rose again, lived on earth for about 40 more
days, and then was translated to heaven in His immortal body in front of eye
witnesses.
When we surrender our life to God in salvation, we are
joint heirs with Jesus of everything pertaining to God's Kingdom, including
heaven. We are freed from the penalty as well as the penchant to sin and freely
given the righteousness of Christ in exchange (Romans 3:22; 2 Corinthians
5:21).
God calls us to remove from our life the distractions on
this earth, which compete with our relationship with Him. He invites us to draw
nearer to Him each day as He fills us through our entire being with all of His
fullness (Ephesians 3:19, Amplified Bible).
We will finally grasp the reality of heaven when we pass
from this life into eternity. First, we have the privilege of abiding in the
presence of God moment by moment for the rest of our life on earth. He
satisfies our longing and fills our hungry soul (Psalm 107:9).
Prayer:
Father God, as we grow
spiritually, our intimacy with You increases daily, and our unity with You is
more focused and dominates our thoughts, words and deeds. When You are our
delight, You put Your desires in our heart (Psalms 37:4), and You shower us
with Your love and blessings. As we commune with You each day, Your Spirit
fills us with the divine nature and character of Christ who dwells within us
(Galatians 2:20; 2 Peter 1:4). We decrease and He increases as we surrender our
life, goals, plans and desires to You (John 3:30).
You help us to reject a life imprisoned in the here and
now on this earth. We no longer concentrate on the temporal, but keep the
eternal in constant focus; give us a consuming love for eternal rewards; fill
us with Your Spirit and Your presence and walk in us through every trial we
face in this life. Help us to draw nearer to You, and to live in eternity now
(John 17:8).
Thought for the Day:
Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus whom He sent, which
begins with the moment of salvation and continues in everlasting life in God's
presence. - John 17:3
