Faith
Hope
LOVE

Looking Forward to Heaven

 by David Paden

There are many things in this life which we look forward to. We look forward to the end of the school week, the end of the work week, and the end of the day. We look forward to being at home with our families. We look forward to family vacations and all sorts of events. You name it, we often find ourselves in life looking forward to things. How often do you find yourself looking forward to heaven? I must say, the older I get, the more I find myself thinking about heaven and the more I look forward to being in Heaven someday. Why do I look forward to being in heaven?

            First of all, God is going to be there. Heaven is a place where we will be in the presence of all three members of the Godhead. The Father will be there. In the apostle John's vision of that heavenly city, he said, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and betheir God" (Rev 21:3). Christ is going to be there. In Colossians 3:1, Paul said, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." The Holy Spirit is also going to be there. "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" (1 John 5:7). Can you just imagine for one moment being in the eternal presence of the Godhead? Don't you want to go?

            In the second place, all of the faithful of ages past are going to be there. Every faithful Bible character who we have ever read and studied, and gleaned from is going to be there. Jesus said, "And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 8:11) Not only that, but every faithful individual who we have ever known in this life will be there. Those who live faithful lives are promised a crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Just think about spending time with individuals like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Paul, John, etc... Imagine the joy that we will experience when we are reunited with those who we have labored with in the kingdom while here on earth. Oh, what a happy time that will be.

            In the third place, it's a place where I will be free from all earthly woes. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev 21:4). Can you imagine being in a place where you would never be affected by death, pain, sorrow, or crying?

            In the fourth place, it's a place where I will be free from sin. "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." (Rev 21:27). Just imagine being in a place where you would never be tempted to sin, ever again.

            Oh, there are other reasons why I look forward to being in heaven, but what about you? Do you look forward to being in heaven?  "Sing to me of heaven, let me fondly dream of its golden glory, of its pearly gleam; Sing to be when shadows of the evening fall, Sing to me of heaven, sweetest song of all."