Hope, Visions of Heaven, Words of Endurance
Imagine setting off on the trip of a lifetime with no knowledge of your destination, no map, and no compass. It would be unthinkable! When we’re anticipating an important trip, we research our destination. We want to know what to expect, what to pack, what preparations we need to make to ensure a safe arrival and a pleasant experience. We want to learn as much about it as we can.
Yet many of us spend more time planning our annual vacation than we do preparing for our ultimate destination.
It’s not all that surprising that we don’t prepare for what’s ahead. We live in a climate of comfort. We have achieved some success in creating our own kind of heaven here on earth, and we want to hold onto it. As one caregiver has observed, “we are so entrenched in this world that we don’t want to let go. Our kids are here, our friends are here.”
Then, too this is the only life we’ve known, and we may have responsibilities that keep our thoughts very much tied to earth. A cancer patient and single mother said, “I don’t even want to think about heaven. I’ve always known that heaven is my home, but I’m not finished here.”
But the reality is, one day we will be finished here. One day we will let go, whether we’re ready to or not. So the question is, are we prepared?
Have you learned enough about heaven that you want to be there? Have you prepared for the journey to heaven’s gates? Have you shared enough of your life on earth with God that you long to spend an eternity in His presence? Does the reality of heaven infuse your daily life – yes, even your suffering – with an unquenchable hope?
The man who expects to go to heaven must take the time to study the route that will get him there.
Unknown