OUR HEAVENLY HOPE

Heaven is a real place. It is not an imaginary place, but it is a place God prepared for us so that we can be with Him forever. It will be our eternal home. Revelation 21:3-7 gives us what we will be experiencing in Heaven. It says, "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. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.' And the one sitting on the throne said, 'Look, I am making everything new!' And then he said to me, 'Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.' And he also said, 'It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children." It is incredible what we will be experiencing in Heaven. All the suffering that we are going through in this world will cease to exist in Heaven. We will never experience death again, something that has affected many of us. 

Interestingly, Jesus called Heaven a paradise (Luke 23:43). When I think of paradise, I envision a place that is peaceful, relaxing, safe, and enjoyable. Heaven will be far better than the paradise I am imagining. We will be in the very presence of our God, where there is no evil and no sin exists. Let us be encouraged by what is ahead of us. Our earthly pain and suffering do not last forever. The future glory God gives us is much greater than any current struggle that we have. When we look at Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, who were mentioned in Hebrews 11, experienced suffering in their time, but in their suffering, they persevered because they were looking ahead to their Heavenly home. Hebrews 11:16 says, "But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." We too must not lose sight of our ultimate home. This world is not our home. We have a bright future ahead of us. 

Heaven is our final destination. We are just passing through this earth. All the suffering we endure will soon be over, but the eternal peace we have longed for will become our reality for eternity.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What attitude should I have, knowing that Heaven is my final home? How should I respond to my struggles in life, knowing that they are all temporary? What is God teaching me through our devotion today?

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

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for encouraging me today and reminding me that all my struggles are temporary. Thank you for the hope of Heaven. Please help me to persevere in my struggles and not lose sight of the eternal hope that I have in you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.