Start getting excited for heaven today by embracing the body of Christ around you here on earth! Your union with God in heaven will be corporate as you enjoy heavenly togetherness with God and with his people.
This is Joni Eareckson Tada sharing hope.
If you know me – and you probably do – you know how much I enjoy thinking about heaven, right? Hardly a day goes by that I don’t set my heart and mind on heavenly glories above where Christ is seated. I mean, hardly a day goes by I don’t think about the new heavens, the new earth, our new bodies. And, oh, what a day that’s going to be! No more wheelchairs, no more pain, no more old age, illness, injuries, or disabilities. God will live with us, and we shall forever live with him. Oh, the marvelous things we will do together with our glorious God, and with each other. Together we’re going to rule the world and judge fallen angels. Together we’ll eat the fruit of the tree of life and be pillars in the temple of God – whatever that means. Together we shall receive the morning star and be crowned with life, righteousness, and glory. Most of all, we will enjoy the best of “togetherness”; we shall be together with God.
Now I want you to note how many times I used the word “together,” ’cause heaven is not a hangout for mavericks roaming solo across the universe, doing their own thing. No, don’t be thinking heaven’s a place where you get to choose your mansion far away from others. No, heaven is a place of sweet togetherness. Look at the way Revelation 21:3 puts it, it says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” Maybe that’s why later on in Revelation 21 it says we will live together in a city, the New Jerusalem. We won’t be speckled here and there in countryside cottages isolated from one another; no, we are going to live in harmony in a city – a nice city, a holy city.
Now, I am no fan of urban living, but I love this idea of all of us living in harmony in a city, living together with our God. Because there are so many brothers and sisters in Christ who I can’t wait to help serve for all of eternity; so many Christian friends who have done so much for me, a quadriplegic in my wheelchair; friends who have given me bed baths and exercised my legs and sat me up in my chair. I can’t wait for the day when I can do something, in the name of Christ, for them! Look, I don’t want to be a Lone Ranger in heaven. I like that word “together.” But it begs the question: down here on earth do you consider yourself a loner when it comes to being with God’s people?
I mean, one of the most glorious gifts God has given us on earth is communal relationships – families, friends at school, co-workers, neighbors, relatives – and all of these relationships are handpicked by the Lord to prepare us for heaven. Scripture always describes our heavenly union with God not as private, but as corporate; the church, whether here on earth or glorified in heaven, is never a solo act. We are to be with each other as, one day, God will “be with his people.”
And you can get prepared for this heavenly togetherness today. Hebrews 10:25 says, “[Do not neglect] to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” So would you pray with me right now, together? Let’s go before the Lord and ask, “Jesus, we look forward to the day when you’re going to remove all barriers between your people. And we confess that we need to remove some of the barriers ourselves. And so we pray for the day when we will truly be one in you. Please help us to enjoy being together with all our brothers and sisters down here on earth and remind us that this communion of saints now is preparing us for all of heavenly togetherness in the soon-and-coming future. In your wonderful name, amen.”
© Joni and Friends