HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE

In John 14:1-3, Jesus says, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." As Jesus was comforting His disciples for the suffering that they were about to go through, He encouraged them about our Heavenly Father's house, which He had been preparing for them. The Heavenly Father's house that Jesus was referring to was Heaven, where God dwells. If we have been around Christian churches, we have heard about Heaven. Heaven is a physical place that is not in this world. The Apostle Paul called it the third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). Revelation 21:10-21 describes the physical appearance of Heaven. The length, the width, and the height of Heaven are 1,400 miles each. The closest U.S. state with similar dimensions is Rhode Island, which has an area of 1,214 square miles. The city is pure gold, as clear as glass, and the wall of the city is inlaid with twelve precious stones, such as jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. 

Heaven is not an imaginary place, but it is a real place where God lives. It is the final destination of those who genuinely believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is a place where all troubles do not exist. The reason Christians do not believe in reincarnation is that our Lord Jesus teaches us through His Word that the moment we die on this earth, our soul will go directly to Heaven. Then on the second coming of our Lord Jesus, all believers in Heaven will receive their Heavenly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). All our suffering will stop then, and we will live in peace and joy in the presence of our God. Our Lord Jesus is encouraging us today that no matter what we are going through, we have hope that there will be a time when all of our suffering will end. As a result, we must persevere and not give up. All our hardships are temporary. We suffer because we live in an imperfect world, where death and sickness exist. But Heaven is a real place that awaits all of us.

Our existence does not stop when we die on this world, but it continues on in Heaven where our God lives. Our suffering will end then, and we will never experience death and suffering. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Do I believe in real Heaven? As a believer in my Lord Jesus, what happens to me when I die? What is my Lord Jesus encouraging me today regarding my struggles in life?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding me today about your place, Heaven. I am encouraged to know that there will be a time when all my suffering will stop, and I will dwell in your very presence in Heaven. In the meantime, please help me to persevere in my faith in you and not give up. May your peace and guidance be with me today as I go through my day. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.