AT HOME WITH THE LORD!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be
away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
(2 Corinthians 5:8)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever paused and thought about
what it would be like to be “with the Lord”?
Imagine walking with Him and talking with Him face to face.
Imagine the Lord giving you a tour of heaven
and showing you your new residence

Imagine Jesus taking you with Him to visit our Heavenly Father.
Imagine the splendor of heaven – a place without all of
the problems, troubles, sadness, ills, etc. of our earthly life.
Imagine living in a new Garden of Eden!

These thoughts can be overwhelming, can’t they?
At the same time, it can be unimaginable, to imagine, the imaginable.
That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?
But the truth is, we can imagine what may seem to be unimaginable
because God can create what man cannot imagine.

Now, in contrast, imagine missing out on being “with the Lord”.
Imagine those who will witness the glory of heaven
from a place of agony and torment.
Imagine those who will spend eternity in pain and suffering,
in addition to realizing that heaven is “paradise lost” for them.

It is sad to imagine anyone missing out on heaven,
but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Jesus went to the cross so that every individual would have
the opportunity of looking forward to their heavenly home.

A man named Solomon Peas died.
His tombstone in London reads:
“Beneath these clouds and beneath these trees lies the body
of Solomon Peas. But this ain’t Peas – it’s just the pod. Peas
shelled out and went to God.”
That’s what our body is….it’s just a pod.

What happens to a child of God
who has trusted Christ as his personal Savior?
When a child of God closes his/her eyes in this life,
he/she opens them in the next life – in eternity.

Jesus did not say,
“After two or three thousand years, you’ll be with Me in paradise.”
Jesus said,
“Today, truly, you’ll be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)

ACTION:
Are you confident that if you died today
you would be with Jesus in paradise?
If not, then confess your sins and ask God to save you,
and help you in your quest to follow Jesus in this earthly life.

Being with the Lord in heaven will be an unimaginable blessing,
but following Him in this earthly life has its share of blessings too.
Those who belong to Him know of His blessings
because they have experienced them.
But for those who do not know Him,
His blessings still seem unbelievable and unimaginable.

If you are a follower of Christ, pray:
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me, a sinner undeserving
of Your mercy and grace. Help me to be a living witness of how
my life has changed (for the better) as a result of the salvation
You have given to me. Guide me in sharing the knowledge of
Your unimaginable gift with others. Create in me a desire and a
passion to see all people come to You for salvation and help me
to use the spiritual gifts You have given me to serve You in the
way You have chosen specifically for me.”

If you are not a follower of Christ, pray:
“Heavenly Father, I don’t understand everything I need to know
about confession and salvation, but I want to be a part of Your
family. I may not know anything about heaven, but I know that
it is a place where I want to spend eternity. Forgive me for my sins
and create in me new priorities and a new direction that is not only
fulfilling, but also ensures my eternal destiny in heaven. I pray
that You will show me how to navigate this ‘new life’ in order to
be a witness to others, that You are real in my life, and heaven is
a real place that is devoid of pain, suffering, death, and sin. Help
me to let others know of my faith and my belief in your Word as truth!”