The Mystery of Heaven: Part 1

Have you ever wondered why the bible gives very little information about what heaven will be like? We are told we will live forever in the fullness of God's presence;we are told about peace, that there will be no suffering or crying, but we are never given any specifics. In John 3:12 Jesus syas, " I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" The context of this scripture is not information about heavely existance, but I think the principle is applicable to what I am about to say. If Christ gave us the specifics, we would either not believe it or completely misunderstand and pervert it. There may be things about heaven that in our current sinful state, we would find very un-appealing. There also may be experiences that we may think perverse or we might even pervert them with our sinful minds.

We are told to pray for our daily bread, and not to store up treasure here on earth. I am guessing that heaven will not be a place of great material hording, but a place where we are content with only what we need from day to day. If God was to specifically tell us this in his word, some might see heaven as a state of poverty and want rather than contentment. Think about all of our wasteful spending on things we want, that wind up in a garage sale or the salvation army. How much food winds up in the garbage disposal? How much of our time and energy is spent on things we do not need. If we could see heaven, I think we might be disappointed at it's modesty. We live in a materialistic culture where we have to have our cell phones, mp3 players, designer clothing, and the latest and greatest gadgets, but Heaven may be a place where a large percent of what we think we want will not be there or even wanted.

If we could try to imagine a world where nobody worried about tomorrow;nobody worried about food, clothing, or keeping up with the joneses, we would see heaven a bit more clearly. A place where possesions are not clung to, but freely shared and respectfully received. I am not describing communism or advocating the evil of possesions. Personal posessions are blessings from God, and I would imagine there will be gifts from God throughout eternity, but I do not think there will be the fear of loss that causes us to cling and hoard. I am as guilty as anyone else of the fear of loss which hinders generosity, and I am seeking God to help me overcome it. I want to be closer to heaven (God's presence), and be ready for the blissful simplicity of existing in his presence.

TOTT