Excerpted from the book, Heaven, by Randy Alcorn — with some of my additional thoughts.
Day One: If we can just see the shore
Luke 10:20, Jesus said, "Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven."
Jonathan Edwards wrote, "It becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward heaven. Why should we labor for or set our hearts on anything else but that which is our proper end and true happiness?"
Life in this world isn't easy. Perhaps you're burdened, discouraged, depressed, or even traumatized. Perhaps you've lost a loved one. Maybe your dreams have crumbled. A biblical understanding of the truth about heaven can change all that.
Secular optimists are merely wishful thinkers. Eventually they get old or sick, and when they die, they're unprepared to meet God. The only proper foundation for optimism is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Even our most painful experiences are temporary setbacks. Our pain may or may not be relieved in this life, but it will certainly be relieved in the life to come. That is Christ's promise: no more pain or death. He will wipe away all our tears.
No Christian should be pessimistic. By meditating on heaven and learning to look forward to it, we don't eliminate our pain, but we can alleviate it and put it into perspective. Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death. In light of the coming resurrection, Paul asks, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
In 1952, Florence Chadwick swam toward the California mainland in foggy conditions for 15 hours. Exhausted, she stopped—less than half a mile from shore. The next day she said, "All I could see was the fog. I think if I could've seen the shore, I would've made it." As you face discouragement or fatigue, set your sights on Jesus Christ. He has promised to prepare a place for those who put their hope in Him. If we can learn to fix our eyes on Jesus and picture our eternal home, it will comfort and energize us.
When Paul faced hardship, he said, "One thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." A clear view of Heaven gave him strength. If you're weary, ask God to help you see the shore.
My Words
This book, as well as Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn, should be required reading for all New Believers! These books go in-depth on Biblical topics that some pastors and priests never get around to teaching.
If you have questions or comments, email me here and let's talk.
Thank you for your time,
Roy