(Aug. 2018)
“I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
I have found myself thinking about Heaven lately. As I was reading this Psalm, this verse caught my attention. Everyone wants to be in a better place whether in this life or the next. Most everyone somehow believes they will be in Heaven or reunited with their loved ones after death. Perhaps you have lost someone dear to you, or perhaps you are nearing the end of your life as well. Perhaps you have gone through much suffering and wonder when everything will turn around. You are not alone.
The Crisis of Belief
One of the most needed things in our world is hope. I remember during Obama’s presidential campaign, he ran his presidency on this thought: hope. But can a human really provide this?
David writes in the psalms that he would have despaired unless he had believed.
The root of hopelessness is a crisis of belief. We as humans all need someone or something bigger than ourselves to believe in. Some find this cause in politics, philanthropy, their families or in religion. Where do you find hope?
David teaches us that his belief has sustained him during the most perilous times. Times of darkness, danger, betrayal, where death was a breath away. He found his hope in the living God. The knowledge that God was with him and that there was a land that awaited him became his lighthouse in the storm. He declares that the Lord is his light and his salvation. How many people are in despair because they have no belief? The devil’s greatest weapon is lies. He speaks to us to cause us to doubt our purpose, that we are loved, and that there is a God in Heaven who cares more for us than we could imagine.
Friends, this is our blessed hope, that we do not have to have a crisis of belief. We can hold fast to the truth that there is a God who is good and powerful. His mercy never fails us. His eye is always upon us. His kindness is limitless and to those who trust in him, he has reserved a land where we will live forever.
Next time you are facing a crisis, examine your beliefs. Are they coming from the truth… or from the father of lies?
The God of the Living
We understand who God is through his Word.
Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and Sadducees about the afterlife. “But concerning the dead that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses in the burning bush passage that God spoke to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ ? He is not the God of the dead but of the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” (Mark 12:26-7)
All mankind will experience the afterlife. The dead shall be raised; some to eternal reward and others to eternal punishment.
Let’s consider another example.
The English word for enthusiasm comes from the root word meaning “God breathed or filled with God.” The most truly alive people I’ve ever met have God’s Spirit living in them. Jesus says that he has come to give us life and life to the fullest. God is eternal. His kingdom, his being was from before time and will never end. He is the one who gives and sustains all life.
If you want to truly live, you must be in relationship with the God of the living. I have never met a depressed, suicidal, hopeless person who was truly filled with God’s Spirit. You can be religious and depressed… but not filled with the God of the living and depressed. It’s impossible. You see when sin entered the world, what was the result? Death. Sin is our separation from the living God through willful rebellion. This death is all around us, in our minds, our physical bodies, and our world. But praise be to God that through his Son, we can confess like David, “I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”
Better than You Imagined
One of the most underappreciated and misunderstood places is Heaven. What images come to mind when you think of Heaven? Clouds? Harps? Halos? Babies floating around in diapers with mini-wings?
Whatever Hollywood view you have of Heaven… it’s wrong. One of the saddest lies I’ve heard is that Heaven will be boring. No fishing. No video games. No sex. No good music. No parties. Just an endless choir. Friends, this is completely wrong. Who do you think created the Earth? If God made fishing, sex, the sunset, the Milky Way, caviar, music, laughter, and snow capped mountains, do you really believe that his eternal dwelling place will be boring?
Apostle Paul reminds us that, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)
We get glimpses of what Heaven will be like in Scripture. It is described as a place where there is no more sorrow, death or darkness. It is a place where righteous men and women from the beginning of time will walk with God and each other in unbroken fellowship forever. It is described as a place without sin where the glory and love of God permeate everything. In Heaven color, sound, taste and every sense imaginable are heightened. It is a place so beautiful that the streets are paved with gold. No more terrorists, taxes, broken promises, separation from family, fear, shame or death. Only endless love, peace, contentment, joy and life. God will wipe away every tear and make all things new.
Will there be food in Heaven? Will there be creativity? Will there be laughter? Will there be family and fellowship? Will there be music beyond description? Will there be creatures we never dreamed of? Will it be fun, exciting, and adventurous?
More than you and I could ever dream!
Most of all, can you imagine looking into the eyes of Jesus? The one who created the universe and whose eyes burn like fire? Can you imagine what he will say to you on that day? The one who created and knows the deepest regions of the human heart?
Whatever joy, pleasure, romance, excitement and adventure you can imagine or have experienced here on Earth is only a shadow of things to come. I can’t wait to get there and walk with Jesus… and meet my family members who have served the Lord and passed on… and to talk with Peter, David, Esther and others.
Saints, we have a blessed hope. Let us say like King David that we believe we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. It’s our intimacy with God and our knowledge of his goodness which will sustain us through the darkest night.
Heaven is not reserved for “good people” or people who believe in the afterlife or religion. It is reserved only for the children of God. We must be born again through Jesus Christ into the family of God. As we declare him to be Lord and Savior, he will take our pain, fear, failure and sin away! He is able to cleanse you by his blood shed on the cross. You do not have to live another day fearing death or what the future holds. You will now be able to say, “I would have lost heart unless I had believed.”
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, do it today.
I look forward to seeing you one day… in the land of the living.