10th September

I feel completely at peace today. I’ve started to take my eyes off my own needs and focus more upon the Lord and all that he has been and always will be for me. Just thinking about my future destiny in heaven is incredibly exciting, though I know I must finish my earthly race first. And whilst I do dream of all that awaits me, I’m well aware that nothing I imagine or dare to dream of can possibly compare with the true wonders of heaven. And so many questions will be answered when I get there. The mystery of a new life with no separation between man and God, that’ll change things for sure, but what about the billions queuing to meet Jesus… how does that work? And my idea of heaven with a life in the country is quite different from the average big city lover… can we have both? I used to like a cold snowy climate, but not anymore so what will the weather be like? Also there’ll be no marriage in heaven, that’s what my Bible seems to say anyway, so what will my relationship to Jane be then? And what about children… it doesn't appear there’ll be any if there’s no marriage which will keep the place nice and tidy don’t you think?

It’s easy to speculate and try and work things out but I don’t suppose many will come close to the reality and I do find it encouraging to look at Old Testament prophesy concerning the first coming of Jesus. At the time there were very few who immediately recognised him as Messiah, indeed religious leaders used scripture to try and prove he couldn’t be. But the Bible is God’s infallible word and sometimes needs a deeper level of understanding to work out what he’s really saying. So when we look at the present expectation of the coming King and a future life in eternity maybe there’s a lot more to Biblical understanding than first meets the eye. Maybe I’ve got it wrong and you’re ideas, whatever they are, will fit better. One thing’s for sure though… it’s gonna be good in heaven because Jesus lives there!

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 ‘Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.’ (NLT)