Focused on Heaven Here On Earth

Bible Verse:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, And her people for gladness. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. Is 65:17-19

My thought for today is the hope of eternity with Christ is worth the enduring any pain and sorrow on earth today. Isaiah describes what it will be like for those who place their hope in God and in particular their hope in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. The trials and tribulations of this life will be no more. There will be no fear, no anxiety, no sorrow or worry. Our time will be spent in rejoicing in God.

The new heaven and the new earth will not be like the old. We will not struggle but find pleasuring in serving God. We will not yearn for anything because God will be with us and our fulfillment will be in our relationship with God.

Jesus described to His disciples that when we focus our attention on Him the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Our world is messed up with its focus on ‘me’. Satisfy the cravings of our heart can stifle our ability to rejoice because we are never satisfied. No matter how much one has there is always more that we want.

Satisfaction can only be found when our heart an mind is focused on the things of heaven. Paul found peace on earth even in imprisonment, in being beaten, stoned or shipwrecked. His focus was not on the things of this world, but rather the things of heaven.

We too can learn to endure. We too can be satisfied with our lot in life when we are found fully dependent upon Jesus Christ. We can rejoice in trials, find hope in helplessness and comfort in uncertainty when we do not look at the here and now but rather on our eternal home.

Are you secure in your hope for the future? Do you trust in what you are able to do or what Christ has already done for you? Has life robbed you of joy? Jesus wants us to find security in Him. He has gone to prepare a place for us and that is where our hope must be placed and not in what we have today which will soon evaporate away. Our future is in Christ so let’s rejoice!

Bob