1 Corinthians 2:9-10 – “But as it is written: 

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”  NKJV

The recent home going of my mother has brought heaven more into view on a daily basis.  It is not that I did not think about heaven and eternity before but with her recent promotion and missing her has prompted me to think about heaven, her and other loved ones gone before a lot.  I think about how they are SEEING what we BELIEVE but cannot see.  I think about how they are EXPERIENCING in reality what we experience in HOPE.  They see what we believe but cannot see with the natural eye but taste in our hearts through the Spirit of God.

Paul referring to Isaiah’s words in making this incredible statement tells us that the natural eye may not see it, the mind may not be able to fully comprehend it and no matter how encompassing we try to think IT IS BIGGER THAN THAT!  God has made preparation for us and our connection to that reality is through the eyes of the Spirit of God and what better eyes to view eternity through?

When I take the many passages from Scripture of God’s promise to ‘prepare’ a place for us, ‘return’ for us and ‘receive’ us I am comforted.  When I take into account the many passages where we are instructed to wage warfare with the prophecies and to comfort one another with words and thoughts of eternity I am comforted.  When I understand that the plans God has for each of us is far beyond anything we can think or ask I stand in awe, tears course down my cheeks and my heart soars with incredible joy.  I may not can see it with the natural eye but I see it in my spirit through the Holy Spirit and BELIEVE what I cannot see naturally.  It is more real than this present world to me.

What will heaven be like?  Oh I’ve heard testimonies from those who have had visions and near death experiences describing it but inside my heart I suspect IT IS BETTER THAN THAT!  The descriptions used by the various writers of scripture convey not only beauty but breathtaking awesomeness of the presence of God.  Our God is an awesome God and He reigns!  My dear mother could no longer walk in her last years on earth.  Her knees and strength had diminished to the point she was relegated to using a wheelchair, but she walks freely now in that land that is fairer than day.  She had difficulty with short-term memory but now she has the benefit of God’s memory banks to bring her joy.  She was homesick for her eternal home and now she is rejoicing at the homecoming she is beginning and one day will we join.  We miss her but would not bring her back if we could for we know that what she now has is far beyond anything we could provide for her on earth.  She has run her race, finished her course and obtained the prize.  She has entered into the Joy of Her Lord!

What she believed but could not see she now sees.  What we believe but cannot see we hold in our hearts by faith and as we view them dimly as through a darkened glass we do so with confidence and joy knowing that one day soon we will also enter into that Eternal Reality.  So if the devil comes to discourage you and suggest that heaven is not real just look up at the vastness of the sky and know that the God who put the stars in place is holding everything in the hollow of His hand and that God will return for us and we too will walk those glorious streets of the City of God.

            God bless you as you go through this day!