The very short, terribly hard walk to paradise
Monday, May 23, 2016 by Unknown
Imagine for a moment that you are a mile away from Paradise:
No more pain, no more suffering, and pleasures forever more! But you have no way to get there except walking barefoot on sharp, jagged rocks.
"It's only a mile," you tell yourself! "I can deal with the pain."
So you start walking. Your eyes keep looking down as you wince at each painful step. But then it occurs to you...
"If I keep my eyes fixed on Paradise I will be able to get there, happily!"
Yes it will be a painful mile, but, OH the joy of getting there!
It seems like in our own life, a "hand-breath," we think we have such a long time before we arrive Home. We painstakingly complain each day of trivial things that don't go our way. Our eyes are so focused on the here and now, the little idiosyncrasies that bother us, the pain that afflicts us, the people that hurt us.
But, we have a great hope! This hope is in the One true God who awaits us, at home.
You are one mile from there dear friend, a "hand-breath" away and we will be there, with our heavenly Father who awaits us with arms wide open.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
1 John 3:1a
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:20
He delights in calling us His children. That in itself should make us praise Him! We are His! He has prepared a place for us and we need to keep our fixed on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Don't let this world hold you down through its deception. No, run to Him, focus on Him, love Him!
Amen and Amen
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people,and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Revelation 21:1-6