How exciting does being with God for eternity sound to you?
3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. 4 And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Psalms 68:3-4 But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. 4 Sing praises to God and to His name! Sing loud praises to Him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD--rejoice in His presence!
There are many reasons to take comfort in knowing that you are going to Heaven when you die. Most of us would list reasons such as seeing a loved one, getting a new body that isn't worn out and everybody's favorite, escaping Hell.
Heaven is going to be amazing. The eternal city won't have a temple, no more night (yet there won't be any lighting from the sun and no light bulbs) no disease or death and no more closed gates to keep our enemies out. Paradise lost has been restored!
But it is wise to see Heaven as more than just our destination. If you are just looking for a better place to live with a prosperous lifestyle then you are missing the point of going to heaven. My desire to go to Heaven should be much more than escaping Hell, enjoying the abundant life or desiring to be rid of the troubles that we have here on earth.
Jesus promised us that the pure in heart will be blessed to see God but how much do we really long to see God? I see how much some of the characters in the Bible desired to see God and be with him and I see a huge difference in my life. The lack of passion for him on my part is embarrassing to admit. (Matthew 5:8, Romans 8:18-30)
Exodus 33:16-18 How will anyone know that You look favorably on me--on me and on Your people--if You don't go with us? For Your presence among us sets Your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."God has promised Moses that he would be with him and take his people to an awesome land full of many wonderful things but that isn't what Moses longs for the most. Moses used to live in the household of the richest man around but he already gave up all of that stuff. Moses wasn't looking for the abundant life here on earth.
17 The LORD replied to Moses, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name." 18 Moses responded, "Then show me Your glorious presence."
All of this stuff excites most of us more than spending time in God's presence and knowing him intimately. It is so wrong that the idea of spending eternity with God doesn't excite me as much as it should.
We don't really appreciate what we have! In our sin filled minds we cannot love him, worship him or desire to be with him as much as we should. This song by Natalie Grant comes to mind and helps me question my motivation for desiring Heaven:
| More Than Anything - Natalie Grant |
|---|
| Help me want the Healer more than the healing Help me want the Savior more than the saving Help me want the Giver more than the giving Help me want you Jesus more than anything |
There are a lot of perks that come with going to Heaven but being with God and enjoying his presence for eternity should be our ultimate goal and our greatest satisfaction. It is absurd that we don't react to this awesome news and desire God more than we do.
My desires need to be checked regularly. It is too easy to begin to lose my first love and become more passionate for the things of this world. None of those other things are going to satisfy my deepest longings.
Lord help me to long for and keep my focus on you!
