There is so much evidence of an evil force at work in our world today. This “force” is actually a person. John 8:44 calls him a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies. I Peter 5:8 pictures him as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. John 10:10 describes him as a thief who comes to steal, to kill, and destroy. Satan’s handiwork is on display today.
But Jesus goes on to say, “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
While we can experience some of that abundant life in the present, there is so much happening in our world that makes us weep. I read something yesterday that was most helpful. It reminded me that I’m not home yet, when I will experience the fulfillment of all God promises to those who love Him.
The reading was from O.S. Hawkins’ “The Joshua Code”, in the chapter about heaven. The key verse was Philippians 3:20—“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here are the words that encouraged me…
“So much of life on this planet is filled with exhaustion, mourning, struggles, and pressures of all kinds. But when we walk down heaven’s golden streets, we will never see a hospital. There will be no more sickness. We will never see a counseling center. There will be no more depression or mental illness. We will never see a funeral home. There will be no more death there. We will never see a policeman in uniform or police station. There is no crime there. There will be no courthouses on the square. There will be no lawsuits and no one seeking to cheat anyone else out of something that is rightfully theirs. We will never hear the shrill sound of an ambulance siren. There will be no more emergencies. We will never have to lock our homes or look behind us to see who is following us as we walk along. There will be no more fear. We will never see a handicapped parking place or a ramp for a wheelchair. There will be no nursing homes there, for we will never grow old. Heaven is a place of rest.
“There are several ‘no mores’ in heaven. No more death. No more tears. No more mourning. No more crying. No more pain. No more farewells. No more separation. No more sorrow. No more sin. Whatever it is that may rob the joy out of life in this world will be gone—and gone forever. Heaven is a place of rest.”