“You know, eternal life does not start when we go to heaven. It starts the moment you reach out to Jesus. He never turns His back on anyone. And He is waiting for you.” – Corrie Ten Boom.

We live in a world that teaches following your “heart” (feelings) is (more accurate, and leads to happiness) than following your faith, but the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” My feelings (heart) has misled me many times in my life, (I digress, “Just one more look, one more bite, one more drink, one more remark, one more time”), but God has never led me astray. Choosing faith over feelings is not easy. Feelings are so strong and loud, and they demand (much like a 2 year old) to be acknowledged! This is why you might say “I’m fine”, and then break down in a puddle of tears, or a fit of rage when you hear a song that brings back painful memories. Feelings are a natural byproduct of your life, your circumstances, your fleshly desires, or your environment. You don’t have to be intentional about creating feelings. They come along just fine by themselves. I do however, have to be very intentional about acknowledging my feelings, because they will find a way to be heard (just like a 2 year old) whether I want to hear them or not. Yet, I must examine my feelings through the lens of Truth in God’s Word before acting on them! Why? . . . because what we see, and what we feel is NOT necessarily truth, and it’s certainly NOT all there is.

I recently went on a helicopter tour of the beaches here in Florida. Though I live here, and frequent these beaches all the time, I found it fascinating how different things look from hundreds of feet in the air than they do on the ground. I was astounded at how many things I didn’t even know existed, much less were close to me, because my view was limited to the path I was traveling. It’s interesting how the expanse of your thinking aligns with the expanse of your view! (out of sight, out of mind, I’ll believe it when I can see it, etc.) As we hovered over the Gulf while the sun was setting our captain said “Watch all the boats below race back into the harbor. They’re heading back, because the sunset is over for them. From where they are, the sun is already below the horizon, and they’re just trying to beat the darkness home.” At that exact time while hovering hundreds of feet in the air, we were looking down on the most magnificent orange glow still in the process of melting like butter into the sea! I could hear God’s whisper in my spirit “Julie, though your world may seem full of hurt, sickness, death, and darkness, this IS NOT ALL THERE IS! If you could only see things from my perspective, you would know the best is yet to come!”

Having faith is choosing to believe beyond what you can see. God’s Word says in Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Having faith is choosing to trust, and believe in God’s view more than my own. Friend, no matter what has happened in your life. No matter what devastation you have recently gone through, no matter what you think you presently see; I want you to close your eyes, and let God’s Vision, His Promise, His Heavenly perspective (which is so much higher than where we can see from) permeate your mind’s eye today. Though it won’t change what you are presently going through it will help, because it will change your perspective to know this is not all there is. This is just your view at the moment, but it is not forever, it is not final, and it is not finished! The best is yet to come!

I have had the privilege of traveling all over the world with my career. I have seen some of the most magnificent sites you can imagine. However there is one place that will make anything you, or I have ever seen, or can even imagine seeing pale in comparison to its beauty! This magnificent place is called Heaven! It is very real, just like the sunset was real when the people below couldn’t see it. Unlike the cartoons, and movies make it out to be, it is not people who die growing wings, and becoming angels sitting on a cloud playing a harp and being bored. Heaven is a new, and perfect Earth! Close your eyes, quiet your spirit, and see if you can catch a glimpse as I share with you what I believe God’s Word says about Heaven.

Imagine falling into a deep, and restful sleep. When you wake you see colors so brilliant that it lights up the entire sky. It’s not the sun, or the moon, but just a brilliant light gleaming all around, like a diamond when the sun shines on it. As you get closer you see 12 magnificent gates, each gate is made out of a solid pearl! As you walk through the gates you enter a city with the foundation, and walls made out of precious stones of jasper, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst just to name a few. The stones gleam in the light like prisms on water after the rain. The streets you walk on are made of pure gold shimmering like transparent glass. A river as clear, and sparkling as a crystal flows through the middle of the city like a path inviting you to follow. On each side of the river there are magnificent trees with 12 different kind of lush fruits. As you follow the path next to the crystal river, you see mansions with many rooms inside. Each mansion is filled with people gathered together, talking, laughing, singing, worshipping, loving, and serving the Lord, and each other. As you follow the crystal river, it is leading closer to the light. You see meadows with every kind of animal frolicking together. A lion is playing with a lamb, the fox is napping with a hen, and children are playing alongside every kind of animal you can imagine completely unafraid. Suddenly, you hear singing, worshipping, and praises coming from an army of angels too numerous to count. “Worthy, Worthy, Worthy is the Lamb” they sing. Flashes of Lightning, and peels of thunder roar as the crystal river leads to a magnificent throne. The brilliant light that is illuminating the sky is coming from the throne. Suddenly, you See Him! The Creator of the Universe, and everything in it, the Son of God, your personal Lord, and Savior. . . Jesus! Eyes shining like fire, dressed in a royal white robe with the ends dipped in blood. He speaks your name, and it is as if you, and He see your entire life as He says it. You fall to the ground in worship, and in fear, because you know you don’t belong here. You’re not good enough, you are a wretched sinner! Jesus calls your name again, as He lifts your head to look at Him. He says to you, “Look, I have engraved your name on the palm of My hand. I died for your sins, your debt was paid in full by My blood on the cross. Your sins are as far as the East is from the West, and I remember them no more. Welcome home my good, and faithful servant.” You embrace your Savior, and when you look down you notice you are like Him! Your body is glorified, no more aches, no more pain. Like Jesus, you are perfect in every way. You feel only love, and overwhelming joy! As you open your mouth worship flows from your lips, because you can no longer contain the love, and joy you feel. Jesus leads you by the hand as you walk, talk, and laugh together. All of the questions, confusion, anger, and doubts you had on Earth that you said you wanted to ask God about, that you thought were unfair at the time just seemed to disappear. Everything makes sense now, because you see it from Heaven’s view. Out of the corner of your eye you see a child, and instantly you know them. They’re beautiful, healthy, and they come up to you squeezing your leg, and squealing with delight! They jump into the arms of Jesus as he twirls them around laughing. They’ve been here safe, and sound the entire time! It’s as if you’ve never been apart. Now, you see though you missed them, God spared them the tragedies of living in a broken, sin filled world. Jesus leads you to a mansion, and there you see your name as He says “I told you there are many rooms in my Father’s house. I have prepared a place for you, because we will always be together. Now, enjoy getting caught up with some people who’ve been helping to prepare this place for you.” You look up to see your (husband, wife, father, mother, sister, brother, etc. all your loved ones that have gone before you ), with arms open wide, and a huge smile on their face coming toward you. The joy you feel cannot be contained! There they are embracing you completely healthy, happy, and whole. All the tears have been wiped away. There is no more sickness, sorrow, mourning, or death. Here in this place there is only joy, unspeakable joy!

Heavenly Father, help me to focus on the beauty of eternal life with You, even when my view is clouded by the ugliness of life here in this broken world, and to remember “This is not all there is, the best is yet to come!”