Articles From Our Bulletins
Heaven: Home Sweet Home
Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.” How true. Several times in my adult life I’ve returned to the places of my childhood. Though they are geographically in the same place, they are not the same place. They look smaller to me – old and sort of run down. All that remain are the memories that filled those houses and yards. In the exhilaration of youth the grass seemed greener, the trees taller, the family dwelling newer and larger. By using Google maps I recently looked at the house I grew up in while I was in High School. Back then the house was brand new, to my dismay it now appears old and dated. It’s hard to believe it’s been thirtyfive years since I lived there. Time ravages everything it touches, and it touches everything.
But Heaven, the home of the soul, cannot be effaced by time. John Newton wrote, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise then when we’ve first begun.” Our home in heaven is made sweet because we will never have to leave (Matthew 25:46; 1 John 2:25, et. al.). Our celestial abode will be enriched because of who will be there. Heaven’s ranks will populated with all the redeemed including our loved ones who have “died in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 14:13). All the faithful will be there (Hebrews 11). The prophets, the apostles, and the angels will be there (Revelation 4:10; Luke 15:10). Most of all God will be there. God will “...wipe away all tears from our eyes” (Revelation 21:4). We shall “...see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
Just seeing God is worth any and all effort to reach heaven. But to bundle that blessing with seeing Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the angelic host, the heroes of faith, and a reunion with our loved ones who died in the Lord, is a sublime thought upon which to dwell! Then to add on top of all this the fact that Heaven is a beautiful place of perfect peace and unity that we never end, that’s bereft of any pain, sorrow, sickness or death is to refer to the title of this article as an understatement!
It’s true, you can’t go home again. But you can go to Heaven, your real home and the sweetest. Lets do all in our power to get there (Revelation 21:27)!
