Daily Devotional

THE CERTAIN GLORIES OF HEAVEN

February 8

eloved, when the child of God dies they are immediately taken by the angels into the presence of their Father in Heaven. My word says, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." (II Corinthians 5:8). What a delightful thought: one moment you are on the earth, seeing its surroundings and hearing its sounds; the next moment, when your spirit leaves the body, it is carried immediately into the most glorious place imaginable, where the "light" of that place is the brilliance of the Son of God himself. You will feel much lighter in weight and burden, because as you sail through the air toward heaven your burdens, fears, uncertainties, misunderstandings and hurt feelings will drop off along the way. Some of you will be much lighter than before! Think of it, none of these hurtful, sad things can go with you. By the time you reach the presence of your Father, you will be "drenched," soaking wet with the "washing" of the Holy Spirit and the precious blood of the Lamb. You will notice new garments that brightly glisten in the light of your Father from the fact of that washing and drenching. How do you like that? It is truly wonderful! Child of the King, does it cause you to desire more greatly to learn how to follow the Lord Jesus more closely and specially to love Him more dearly than you have ever cherished him before? Indeed, it does! Now think of this: from the first moment in heaven you will tour and see all its splendor and majesty, you will become intimately and permanently acquainted with your Father in the presence of His Son and the Holy Spirit. You will also be prepared to meet your loved ones who have gone on before you. It won't be a simple matter of just meeting them. Happy, thrilling surprises await you when you are reintroduced to the very people who changed your life on the earth and to those whose parting from you into heaven sadly broke your heart. All that will be past. You will jump and shout and laugh and cry and sing and recite verses of praise together in that Great Land beyond the River! You will hug and kiss and dance and spend endless time with them (since there is no time kept in heaven. Remember "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day." (II Peter 3:8) You will be prepared to receive loved ones still on the earth--- those who have not yet passed over. What fun! As each one comes in (it will seem like mere minutes to you) you will see their joyful faces and be allowed to hear their shouts of happy praise as they realize that they have passed from their earthly homes into the eternal place of resting and peace. By the way, whatever makes you happy in the Lord will be given you. If you wish to live in the new earth of heaven's promise with your loved ones, you will be one big happy family! What about it child. Did I not tell you "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered the hearts of men, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him?" (I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV) What blessings await you!

Prayer

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Father, I can't wait! You are ever faithful through Jesus, amen!