“And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
The word, “and,” connects the beginning of Psalm 23:6 to the end of it. The first part of the verse says goodness and mercy will follow us during our time here on earth. Then we find the word, “and,” connecting our yesterdays and our today with our “forever.” Our “forever” is a place we call heaven.
In our flesh, it’s hard to remember that our time on earth is actually the short phase of our lives. The “forever” part of our lives starts after our time on earth is finished. Our most precious hope is the promise of spending eternity in the presence of the Father.
The Bible says, “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (1 Corinthians 15:19). God’s unfailing love and constant goodness fills our days on earth with hope. But even greater is the promise of an eternity spent living in God’s house, dwelling in his presence, and abiding in his love.
An old proverb says, “He’s so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good.” The greater danger is to be so earthly minded we miss heaven altogether. Our goal is not the temporary satisfaction we may find in wealth, education, good looks, or popularity. Our goal is to hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and to live eternally in our forever home.
We’re never completely satisfied here on earth because this isn’t our real home. Max Lucado put it this way: “If you take a fish out of the water and place him on the beach, is he happy? The answer, of course, is no! How do you make the fish happy? Do you cover him with cash? Get him a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a martini? No, he will only be happy when you put him back in the water because he wasn’t made for the beach.”
And we weren’t made for earth. We will never be completely happy on earth because we were made for heaven. The joy, peace, and contentment we will experience there is entirely beyond our current ability to comprehend.
Just think—in heaven, there is no sickness, no weeping, no death. God lives and walks among his people. Heaven is illuminated by the majesty of God. There is no evil and no sin. The peace of God reigns forever and ever. This is our promise. This is our hope.
You may have lived in some fancy houses in your life. Or maybe you lived in some very basic houses. You may have experienced a great deal of joy or a great deal of sorrow. Either way, look up. Know that your forever home is a mansion on streets of gold. Your forever home allows you to live in the constant presence of the Lord. Friend, your faith means your future is absolutely breathtaking.
Father God, sometimes I get so comfortable in this life that I don’t think about my forever home. Other times, I look around at the world and long for the glory and peace of heaven. Help me bring glory to you during my time on earth and help me remember that my final home is a place more amazing than I could imagine. In Jesus’s name, amen.
What do you most look forward to in heaven? Comment in the “Leave a Reply” section below.
Family Worship Center Devotionals 