“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3
Little kids love the idea of a special trip. If a favorite uncle promised them a day trip to the zoo, beach, or other long desired destination, they can hardly sleep the night before. On the day, they are up early and dressed long before the appointed hour. Then they stand by a front window waiting for the familiar car to pull in the driveway.
No wonder Jesus said that those entering the kingdom of God ought to enter like children – with the same wide-eyed anticipation of a child being transported from the ordinary to the extraordinary (Matthew 18:3). The Bible says Jesus has promised to come and “pick us up” and take us to a place He is now preparing for us (John 14: 1-3).
And not for just a day of fun, but for all eternity. The question is, “What is our level of anticipation?” As adults, are we so attached to things of this world that we have lost our sense of anticipation? Get ready! He is coming again to gather those who want to spend an eternal day with Him.
David Jeremiah Destination: Your Journey With God June 12
FYI: Recently while in MA I made a new friend six years younger than I from Colombia S.A. who too was visiting his son and grandchildren in the UMass complex next door to my son and grandson. We really hit it off, he’d gotten his Master’s from Auburn, his PhD in Japan, and spent a lifetime in the science of raising fish for meat commercially, etc.
We explored many bunny trails all leading repeatedly to our shared concern for the fragile state of our world’s well-being, and especially the handicaps the younger generations are now inheriting. We each entered the conversation from our experiential spiritual perspectives, Anabaptist & Catholicism, but the commonality of being bonded in faith and mental community transcended country of origin or education. I personally sensed a real sadness in that we’d likely never meet again, perhaps sorta like those divine seatmate encounters on airplanes, but this time I didn’t have work needing done!
I remember well thinking to myself as I left the encounter, why can’t we just be honest and say, “Well so long for now, but I’ll see you later in heaven, when we can really get acquainted.” Fast forward in time depending on our schedules and God’s, will determine whether we’ll then be concerned about our kids and grand-kids, but at least, he and I will be ultimately restored!
Ever since that revelation nearly two weeks ago, I’ve been thinking how I’m going to implement that conversational openness when publicly appropriate about we meeting up in eternity, when we’re in our next similar earthly encounter, and are about to part when it is very likely our paths will never ever cross again. And just why is this?
Why are we so crazily inhibited about publicly referencing professionally our eternal home? Just think about how much of our yak time is driven by trivia, perhaps significant at the moment of impact, if your AC or car just died, or your dog had to be put down, etc.. but really now, note how easily we are effectively shut down and rendered totally ineffective.
Yes indeed, I agree, life does happens! But still, where is our eagerness like a child as expressed above? Get the picture? Remember when you as a child had a trip the next day and you couldn’t sleep? I suggest we all go lay out in the grass like I remember doing once as a first grader during summer vacation contemplating how I was ever going to survive until school started again, but then, miraculously my legs finally reached the tractor’s clutch and brake pedals, and I never again lacked for engaging opportunities! I remember while looking up yonder back then, either watching those MN cumulus clouds by day, or at night, the stars, and now, I’m trying to remember what I was thinking back then and what was going on in the world. I well remember while getting ready for church Sunday morning Oct 6 1957 hearing on Christian radio that the Sputnik mission was successful, but that was 28 months after I was first deemed fit to drive the tractor.
Now if getting into this heaven frame of mind doesn’t come easy or natural, I highly recommend “Imagine Heaven” by John Burke, formerly an agnostic engineer whom God repurposed to prime the flow of our understanding and appreciation for heaven. I’ve mentioned that book frequently prior. Sorta reminds me when as a kid I primed the pump outside the one room schoolhouse to secure a vibrant flow of water, but you might not get that either.
Bottom Line: First, we gotta get in the flow! Utmost For His Highest today tells us “The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual source of original life. The Spirit of God is a well that is springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently, there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus.
(And this is so key-perhaps even today’s second bottom line):
Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He has been with you!!!” Go For It, No excuses!