One of the many people whom I drive nuts is an artist friend of mine. When we look at his work, I can’t help myself from asking, “What does this mean?” I want to know the point, the meaning behind the image. Being raised with a rather modern view of art, my questions always bother my friend—I am looking for meaning, yet he is communicating something vastly different: a feeling, an inspiration, a motivation. While I can’t always agree with my friend, there are times when inspiration is desired, when a feeling or a passion is needed.
So it is often with Heaven. Yes, we all could do with a little more understanding of the nature of Heaven; yes, we could all learn about it more. But frankly, frequently all we really need is to be reminded of our future presence with the Lord, to be inspired toward that goal, to be encouraged with an image of what is ahead. In the Scripture and through church history, these have inspired:
- “And behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12
- “I think heaven is the sweeter because many of my old, lovely, affectionate, holy friends are there, and I am the more willing by death to follow them. And should it not be more pleasing to think that my God and Father, my Savior and Comforter, are there?” Richard Baxter
- “Even when we allow our imaginations to run wild on the joys of heaven, we find that our minds are incapable of conceiving what it will be like.” Billy Graham
- “Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us.” Randy Alcorn
- “Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind!” CS Lewis
- “The way to heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.” Jonathan Edwards
- “Christian, meditate much on heaven, it will help thee to press on, and to forget the toil of the way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country: this world of woe is but the stepping stone to a world of bliss.” Charles Spurgeon
And, of course…
- “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” St. Paul, Philippians 1:21
In preparation for worship this week, read Philippians 1:18b-30.
- What is the cause of Paul’s rejoicing (verses 18-20)? How might something similar motivate your own prayers?
- What questions come to mind in light of verse 21? If you had to come up with ten good questions, how hard would that be?
- What is the “fruitful labor” that Paul refers to in verse 22? What comparable thing might function in your life today?
- Paul is convinced that he will remain alive at this point in his life (verse 25). What is the reason for his confidence? Why are we normally “confident” of our continued existence?
- How does Paul’s writing in verses 27-30 connect with his earlier idea? What is the link (conceptually) between the two paragraphs in today’s reading? Does that link continue today? In your own life?
By Henry Knapp