O Glorious Thought

O Glorious Thought 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, that by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself (Phil. 3:20-21). 

I know that in the not too distant future, I will fold up this earthly tent and take that journey from whence I will not return. This world is not my home nor is it yours. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth and as such we are seeking that city whose builder and maker is God (1 pet. 2:11, Heb. 11:10, 13, 1 Pet. 2:11). Our treasure is in heaven so our hearts are centered on things above not on things on earth (Mat. 6:19-21. Col. 3:1-3). 

Often in this life we find ourselves in places where we would rather not be. That will not be so with heaven. What a joy it will be to one day fly away to God's celestial shore and with the redeemed live forever with the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of the time when we think and talk about heaven our thoughts center on the things that will not be there: no tears, sorrow, crying, pain or death (Rev. 21:3-4).

 Certainly, thinking about this home where all things are made new, where there will be nothing to ever trouble our heart is a source of great joy, comfort and peace but there is another aspect of heaven that multiplies that joy in my heart and that is the people who will be there. God, our creator and sustainer of life will dwell and be among us, the one who will wipe away all tears from our eyes will be there and dwell with us. Jesus, Son of God, whose love for us was so great for us that he went to the cross and died for us. I have never seen either one except through the eye of faith yet I love them dearly and trust them with all my being. Just thinking about being with those heroes of the bible, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Paul, Peter, John (Heb. 11), thrills my soul.

 Heaven is even more personal because there are those I have known and seen and loved with all my heart and one day in that not too distant future, I know I will see them again. O glorious thought. Someone once said, "It's not so much the place as it is the company that makes heaven so beautiful." Today, heaven tugs at my heartstrings and I am going to strive to serve the Lord to the best of my abilities, clinging to him with great anticipation of the day when I will fly away to live forever in the lasting city. How about you?

 Charles Hicks