Have you ever experienced something in life; hiking, a sunset, some scene in nature, where you were just overcome with joy? Maybe you were even slightly astonished and overwhelmed and thought to yourself with all confidence; God is with us! I will admit I have had a few of those experiences and hope for more. Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven calls these moments “foretastes of Heaven”.
I love that thought; foretastes of Heaven; he uses this to help describe the type of spontaneous joy and worship we will experience in Heaven although magnified beyond belief. Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk says; “occasionally we experience little hors d'oeuvres for heaven in our earthly life, experiences that give us some idea of what final and full happiness must be like.”
Final and full happiness, spontaneous joy and worship, for all eternity; that is so hopeful! I don’t know, but Heaven just seems so “Heavenly” (sorry, I couldn’t resist). It does bring to mind Revelation 21:3-7;
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
So as believers if we overcome; persevere; continue our walk with Christ we will inherit “all this” as sons of God. Can you imagine being in the presence of God for all eternity; in paradise with Christ? Oh my!
In his book, Alcorn quotes J. I. Packer who sums it up; “Hearts on earth may say in the course of a joyful experience, 'I don’t want this to ever end.' But invariably it does. The hearts of those in Heaven say, 'I want this to go on forever.' And it will. There is no better news than this.”
Abba Father, thank you that by your grace and mercy we might get a glimpse of what it will be like in paradise for all eternity. Eternity, that’s a long time!
Grace and Peace!
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