Are We There Yet?    

Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.  Elisabeth Elliot

When we were kids we would go on trips in the summer and one of the things I am sure my parents got tired of hearing was those little voices from the back seat, (after we had only been on the road for an hour), “Are we there yet?”  We were bored sitting in the car on a long drive and we were anxious to get to our destination.  We had been listening all week to our parents tell us how much fun we were going to have once we got there. 
 
I started thinking about Heaven today.  We are just passing through this life on earth.  It is not our final resting place.  Too many times I lose focus when I get caught up in the things of this life.  I have to continuously remind myself that I am not home because home is not here.

I wonder if it would make a difference to a child’s life it they heard more about heaven.  Most of the time we are so focused on the things they are doing wrong and we talk so much about the sin they are committing here, that we forget to tell them about a much better place where there will be no sorrow, no pain, no tears.  A place where our heavenly Father joyously looks forward to our homecoming. 

Yesterday I was struggling with an incident that occurred with one of our farmer’s markets where we participate.  On behalf of my parents and their business and myself, I was angered over what one of the organizers had done.  The thing is if I believe in the Heavenly Father and understand that he wants what is best for me and nothing happens on this earth without it going through Him first, then I can be at peace with whatever happens on this earth because this “is not my home”.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, in answer to the question, “Are We There Yet”?, no we are not.  I am just a traveler passing through a strange land.  This is not my home and I praise You for creating a better one for me.  I look forward to the day when I can walk through those gates and see the place you have prepared for me.  Thank you for giving me a path to Your door.  Remind me I am not home yet.    

Scripture:   Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  Revelation 21:1-7