A women stood in a wheat field looking up to the sky

 

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Heaven

06 March 2019
‘I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.’

Death is something that can be uncomfortable to talk about. As humans, we have an inbuilt survival instinct, and the idea of dying can feel scary. But, as Christians, we have the promise of eternal life with God. Our life on earth will end one day, but we know that we’ll live forever with our Father. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we’re able to have a relationship with God now, and forever. One day we’ll enter heaven and be reunited with Him. In Revelation we’re told that ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’ (21:4 NIV). Isn’t that amazing? Those words have encouraged Christians to keep going through their struggles for centuries. In Philippians 1, Paul says ‘for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.’ Sometimes we can become so focused on the fear of dying and the problems we’re facing in this world, that we can’t even begin to think about the eternal. But, like Paul, we should be desiring the day when we see Jesus face to face. However, while we’re still on earth there are things that we’re called to do – we can’t just sit around waiting for our eternity with God. We need to be using the gifts and skills He’s given us. We need to be telling as many people as we can about Jesus and His promise of eternal life. We should be living in the present, while remembering the promise of our eternal future.

 

What Now?

Listen to ‘Heaven Song’ by Phil Wickham. As you’re listening, thank God for His promise of eternal life.

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