Reason #984

I grew up in a traditional Southern Baptist church, and every Sunday we cracked open the hymnals to sing songs that were hundreds of years old. Songs that you rarely hear on the radio, and if you do, it's totally remade. Either that or just some of the lyrics are used in the chorus. Anyway, there's just something about hymns that tug at my heart, and not many Sundays go by that I am not reminded of a song I grew up singing as I listen to the sermon. This one came to mind today.

 

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place. 

 

When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

 

Our pastor has been preaching over bodily resurrection the past few weeks, which has been encouraging to me as I've thought more about that than usual. The truth is, I really never thought that much about Heaven and death. Really, I didn't consider my mortality, to be honest. Most of us probably don't spend our spare time thinking about death, after all. I figure the Lord has it all worked out and He'll take care of it as He plans for things to happen. But, like our pastor stated this morning, we're all in the process of dying. It's true. We live in mortal bodies that weren't intended to last forever. Each one of us has an expiration date, yet it's hard to imagine anything but life. This is where I have struggled. Sometimes I wonder how long I'll live, and sometimes I wonder if I'll die. The Lord will come back when He chooses to come back, and whether He comes before or after I'm laid to rest, my soul is secure. On one hand, I'd certainly like to live a full, long life and experience parenthood and even grandparenthood. On the other hand, it'd be pretty amazing to be alive when Jesus comes. And so I have to remind myself that both options are equally good. Either way, I'll end up in the same spot. I'm just not sure how I'll get there.

 

What a day of rejoicing when we see Jesus, though. The day when everything is made right. The day when we're finally free of our flesh and we get to experience absolute perfection. What a day that will be! I found myself thinking about that this afternoon. Feeling a little stressed, stretched, and irritated, I thought, "These feelings will no longer exist when my life on Earth is done." Can you imagine a life without worry? A life without fear? Can you imagine what it must feel like to live a life that is free of stress? To never get irritated, have to face disappointment, struggle with your weakness, or lose your patience. You wouldn't feel things like envy, regret, frustration, or exhaustion. And you'd finally be whole, perfect, new. You'd be complete. Free from the burdens of this world, free form the burdens you place on yourself. You'd be free. Free from sorrow and heartache, and free from any looming devastation that you didn't see coming. Because all you'd ever experience is good. You'd understand the bigger picture, you'd have clarity, full peace and joy, and that would be the world you know for the rest of time.

 

That will be the world we know when we see Jesus. When we sing and shout the victory. So thank you, Jesus, for what you did. For bearing our sins and our shame on the cross so that we can have the hope of Heaven. Because of that, we have much to look forward to. Thank you for the promise of a new Heaven and a new Earth, and thank you're preparing a place for us. A place for me. Thank you for having a plan. Thank you for including us in that plan and working it out for our good. And thank you for the promise that you're coming back. We look forward to seeing you!

 

#984 - Because one day we'll see Jesus and things will be better.

 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” - John 14:1-4