For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14 NLT
I regularly remind myself not to become too attached to my life here on earth. It’s easy to get consumed by the events and demands that make up my life. I lose eternal perspective as the immediate crowds my horizon. Stepping back and seeking to understand my present in light of my faith is difficult, but essential.
The Israelites learned that in seeking God they left the security and glitz of one world behind, Egypt, but had to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness before they entered the promised land. I too discovered that an uncomfortable landscape lies between my aspiration and my destination.
Taking God at his word and living a life that recognises the reality of life beyond our physical death has been my journey. Now I find that there is little of life’s so-called benefits that I desire. I am still fractured and sinful, but I cannot muster much enthusiasm for the distractions that once charmed me most. I still wander in the wilderness but I seldom look back over my shoulder and yearn for the Egypt I left voluntarily. I peer towards a fresh horizon, where I shall step into eternity. I don’t wish my life away, I simply wonder how to use it apart from contemplation and prayer.
Once outside the city you are able to see what its walls previously obscured. It is a landscape that is far more demanding than ordered city life. The roads are not laid out and your route has to be planned. You travel without knowing what lies ahead, yet slowly your eyes become accustomed to the boundless nature of the wilderness and you begin to focus upon the horizon between this world and the next.
QUESTION
What will heaven be like?
PRAYER
“When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.” (Isaac Watts, 1674-1748)
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