Anticipation

In about an hour from the time I’m writing this, my daughter and three granddaughters will arrive for a visit. And I can hardly wait to see them!

It’s been six months since I last saw them at their home in another state. I want to hold them in my arms, to see how they’ve grown and to just plain love them.

My wife and I have been planning things to do and places to go with them since we first heard they were coming. We haven’t told them all our plans yet. It’s going to be a surprise!

Of course it’s nothing compared to the anticipation God must have or the things he has planned for his family!

“Now hold on just a minute! God has grandchildren?”

No, according to the Bible, God doesn’t have any grandchildren. But all who come to him through Jesus Christ become his children. And he’s looking forward to our homecoming.

The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” So through faith in Jesus Christ, everyone can become a part of God’s forever family.

And he’s looking forward to the day we’re with him in Heaven! How do I know? Because the Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones [believers].”

Now that may strike you as odd because we look at death as a separation from our loved ones. But from God’s perspective, when one of his children dies, he or she is coming home. And I imagine that he’s just as delighted as we are when our children come home at Thanksgiving!

God also has some surprises planned and exciting things for us to do. People who imagine Heaven as clouds, harps and lounging around must not have read their Bibles!

The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” It’s wonderful beyond words!

Someone once said, “Don’t miss Heaven for the world!” Let’s face it—it’s too easy to let what Jesus called “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” make us so selfish that we’re no good for serving the God of Heaven. Don’t let that happen to you.

I wonder—is God looking forward to your homecoming in Heaven with anticipation and delight? Or is he hoping that you’ll finally see the light and start following him before it’s forever too late?

The Bible says, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” It also warns us: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Has God been trying to get your attention? Sometimes he speaks through the words of a concerned friend. Other times it may be through a crisis.

One reason our lives can be such messes is because God is patient with us. He lets the consequences follow our bad decisions. He hopes we’ll learn something and turn back to him.

Here’s advice from the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

If you do that, one day God will have a “Welcome Home” party planned just for you.

Now don’t get me wrong. I want to live my life here as long as God allows. But when my time comes, I’m ready to go. The Bible says, “To depart and be with Christ…is better by far.”

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Homesick

Last week I received an invitation to my fortieth High School Class Reunion. I guess that’s the official notice I’m now “old.”

It was exciting to hear our class is getting back together. Just thinking about visiting my hometown, seeing old friends and catching up with them made me a little homesick.

When I go, there are some places I’d like to visit. So I went online and started looking up addresses. What I discovered surprised me.

On some Google Maps there is an option called “Street Level” view. When I clicked on that, I saw that I could virtually “drive” through the streets of my hometown. It was amazing!

First I looked at my grandparents’ house. Across the street was the building where my great-grandfather had a meat market. A few doors down was a building that held a neighborhood store where I bought penny candy as a child.

Then I checked out the two houses my family lived in. I went by the schools I attended.

There was the gas station where I used to get air for my bike tires. I went by the appliance store once owned by a friend’s father. Downtown I saw where Joe’s Diner used to be.

It was almost an “out of body” experience—like I was THERE. Wow. I didn’t want to leave.

The feeling that came over me is hard to explain. Was it nostalgia, homesickness or a longing to go back to a simpler time?

There was a real sense of connection to my past. And even though I wasn’t there any more, somehow I felt like I still belonged there.

Dorothy had it right in the “Wizard of Oz.” There’s no place like home.

Then I thought, “You know what? Heaven is like that.”

Now hold it for just a minute. How is Heaven like looking at your hometown online?

Well, it’s like this: The Bible gives us a virtual picture of Heaven. We’re not there but, when you read about it, you can “see” it in your mind’s eye. Sort of a virtual reality.

In Heaven you’ll have that hometown feeling forever. And when you arrive, you’ll feel like you’re being welcomed to a combination high school and family reunion—and then some!

In his book “90 Minutes in Heaven,” Don Piper, describes his experience entering heaven like a reunion or a homecoming. It was a place where he felt he completely belonged.

Some people think that Heaven is a place where we’ll sit on clouds and play harps. But that’s just a result of someone’s active imagination.

According to the Bible, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him – but God has revealed it to us.”

In the Bible we read about a heavenly city. It’s called a “paradise.” Jesus will be there. It’s a place where there will be no more tears. We’re told people from every nation will be there.

It’s common now for people to pre-arrange their funerals. Have you made advance arrangements for eternity? Everyone will spend forever somewhere. Where will you be?

The Bible says, “The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” If Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, that’s all you need. Be sure you are trusting in him and his death on the cross for your sin.

The Bible is like God’s “Street Level” view of Heaven. It gives us just a glimpse of the ultimate hometown! One of the best parts? --It’s a place you’ll never want to leave.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!