there's a hope that never fails.

hmm, well after an eternity of inactivity, I AM BACK! These past few weeks have been somewhat crazy, you know, with finals and studying for finals. oh the woes of being a college student. But, Alas! Spring is here and its sunny, which according to the weather forecast is not going to be the case starting tomorrow and lasting a long time. So, carpe diem, yes?

I have been thinking a lot about heaven lately and just reflecting on how my view of heaven has changed so much over the last few years. I used to not be super excited about heaven simply because it sounded kind of boring. I mean, eternity is long time, right? I remember thinking about the return of Christ with the mindset of "it would be cool if Jesus came back BUT I want to get married first" or "I want to have kids first." I think that these thoughts stemmed from an ignorance or perhaps a lack of knowledge of what heaven would be like. Although it is impossible for one to fully describe what heaven is like without having gone there, God, through his Spirit has revealed some aspects of heaven that we can know.

I think of how much I love to worship. Like, it's probably my favorite thing in the whole world to do. But even the most spirit-filled worship service on earth pales in comparison to heavenly worship. Can you imagine the worship of all the believers--past, present, and future--singing praises to God for all eternity? Wow. I cannot wait for that. The Bible also talks about how there will be food in heaven. Revelation 19.9 says "blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb". I know how much I love weddings and all that goes with them but this will be the ultimate wedding of weddings! I think that one of the coolest aspects of heaven will be the improvement of our knowledge. There will be absolutely no uncertainty about anything. 1 Corinthians 13.12 says "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." This absolutely blows my mind! Think about how well God knows you. Everything there was to know about you God already knows. Paul is saying that we will know fully, even as we are fully known by God. Amazing.

The thing I want the most, more than anything in this world is to see and be with Jesus. More than I want to fall in love with a man... More than I want to get married... More than I want to have children... Because the truth is, all the joy that one can experience in this world is like a grain of sand compared to what it will be like in heaven. I just want the waiting to be over. Chris Rice said "I just want to be with You, and it helps to know the day is getting closer. Cos every moment takes and hour, and every inch seems like a mile 'til I wont have to imagine and I'll finally get to see You smile." The fact of the matter is that none of us are going to make it out of here alive. We are all one day closer to death, or to the return of Christ, than we were yesterday. So are we standing in that truth? Are we living like we know we were made for another world? like we know that this earth is not our home? like we know that Jesus could return any minute? do we want Him to?

My friend Ryan Smith said that it is "only when we start to get a grip on Heaven that we can truly start to loosen our grip on this life" It's so funny because this life seems so long and arduous at times, doesn't it? But in the scope of eternity it is almost non-existent. Our lives are but a vapor. Yet we know that what we do now affects our eternity, our eternal destination. So take heart! For the Christian, this life is the worst it'll ever get! It only gets better from here.
Truly one of the most hope-filled passages of the Bible, Revelation 21.1-7 :

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 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."

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Let's think about and celebrate heaven a little bit more than usual. When we remember what we are living for, what our hope is, it makes it a little easier to take our eyes off of the struggles and hardships of this life and fix them on what is coming.



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