Heaven
Working on my book, (yes, I’m writing a book…) I have spent hours looking at John chapter 14 where Jesus talks about home. A lot.
He talks about going to prepare a place for us. He talks about the Father having enough rooms for us. He talks about the Father making his home in us. He talks about coming to get us and bring us back to a home. The Greek word is oikos or oikia (which reminds me of IKEA. even though there is no linguistic connection) which means home, room, dwelling.
This has got me thinking about heaven. I don’t think Jesus is just talking about a physical streets-of-gold heaven, however. I think He is also talking about the continual companionship with the Father that He experienced His whole life and that He offers to us.
Because He has sent His Holy Spirit to make His home in us, we do not have to be crushed by isolation or rejection; we do not have to be weighted down by grief or despair. He is always with us, loving and accepting us, comforting us and giving us hope! We can always count on Him. He never changes and He never goes away.
Our experience of His presence and the good things that come with it may be limited by the conclusions we have drawn about ourselves, God, and life, due to how we interpret our life’s events, but He Himself is the same One who prompted Jesus to go heal this person, resurrect that one, take a walk under the stars, or give some pesky demons the heave ho!
The Triune God making His home in those who love Jesus is the reality that will be fully realized in Heaven. For now, our hearts long for that and can find comfort in the incompletely experienced reality. Jesus has come as God With Us, and continues to be God With Us by His indwelling Spirit!
Looking forward to Heaven as I am
Following Jesus every day in the everyday,
Christi
P.S. If you are seeing this on Facebook, check out this link to one of my songs about heaven.
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