Heaven

John 14:1-6

Someone said, “everybody talkin’ ‘bout Heaven ain’t going there.” Maybe thats a line from the lyrics of some song. Anyway, it’s true. Talking about Heaven won’t get you any closer to it, but possessing a saving faith in Jesus Christ will settle the issue and assure your eternity there.

Jesus said in John 14 that He was going to prepare “a place for us.” I’ve been thinking about that a little more lately. I guess, as much as I hate to admit it, as one gets older, one has to focus more clearly on the future, especially as the future comes closer to the present. Just the other night when I heard again, for the second time in a few weeks, the haunting words of “Beulah Land”, I was reminded that I am “looking now, across that river, where my faith shall end in sight. There’s just a few more days to labor, and then I’ll take my Heavenly flight.”

What I really need to focus on, however, is not Heaven (for that is settled and ready), but the labor that is before me. And so it is for all of us. I’ve often wondered how we could understand the cost of salvation, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the call to discipleship placed in our lives, and the desperate need of our family, friends, and neighbors, while willing avoiding the necessary labor to fulfill His calling in us.

How easy is it to wile away our time dreaming of things to come, or focusing on the immediate, never seeing the “big picture.” Perhaps we don’t believe the part about “just a few more days. . . . .” We often think we have forever to go, failing to know that for many of us there are more yesterdays than tomorrows. Even though there could be years and years left to us, there are those among us who will be gone tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

There are times when I am more “homesick” than others. When thing are not going well in our life, or when there is too much opposition to the ministry we have embraced, it is easy to focus elsewhere. But God has called us to labor in His vineyard. We have a row to hoe, a harvest to bring in, and a crown to win (kinda/sorta some mixed metaphors there).

It’s certainly OK to focus on Heaven but we’ve a lot of work to do before we get there. Could be there is not much time left. So, let’s be about it.