“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us be glad in His salvation.’” —Isaiah 25:8-9
When I think of Heaven, I think of the promise. Jesus has promised us that when we come to Him—to believe in and trust Him—we will live with Him for eternity.
Working with cancer patients, amputees, and individuals who suffer from depression, the subject of Heaven is an important one. In the pages of Scripture, we are able to gain glimpses of what Heaven will be like, but there is still a lot left for us to wonder about. There’s very little written on Heaven; It’s a big topic which holds many questions for us. But what I do know is that once we accept the gift of salvation and step into new life with Him, we’re promised a place there with Christ. I know Heaven is real and I know Jesus will be there.
Eventually, this earthly tent I’m living in will become so tattered that it won’t be able to hold the spirit within me. When that time comes, I will let go of this body to gain a new one—an eternal one. When I then go to the other side to be with Christ forever in paradise, I’ll have no need for the body I have now!
Heaven will be an incredible place for us to constantly worship and adore the God of the universe! But I hope my life reflects this calling even now. It scares me to think about all the time I’ve wasted in my 61 years of life. I can easily look back with much regret, but I know God’s grace is greater. There’s no room for guilt and shame. So when those thoughts come, all I can say is that I’ve been made new. I can live in a manner that reflects Christ. I know the good news of Christ really is good news because it transforms me to be the person God created me to be. Ultimately, my life now impacts the life I will live in eternity, so I want to live it well. I want to live it for Him.
On this side of Heaven, I still have worries and fears. But one day those will all go away. Without the hope of Heaven, I think I would be consumed by worry and fear. I know I would suffer with depression because outside of Christ, what is there to live for? Living for pleasure is fleeting, depressing, and insignificant. Living for Christ is meaningful, hope-filled, and eternal. When we cut through all of the politics and power struggles we see our culture fighting today, we come face to face with the reality of our brokenness. What’s missing from the conversation is the hope found in Christ. When we know who we are in Christ and the hope He promises us, nothing can disrupt our peace.
The only thing that gives me hope is the love of Christ. I have hope that by His love, God might intervene through the lives of men to do the right thing. Without this hope, all is chaos. If we lose the reality of God in the story of the United States of America, we lose hope.
There’s so much more to life than the life we know on this earth. Because of this truth, our life on earth can be so sweet! My eternity doesn’t begin when I get to the other side of Heaven, my eternity began once I came to Jesus in faith to accept His gift of new life.
Eternity is now.
“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” —John 17:3
—Dave Dravecky
Dave Dravecky is a former MLB pitcher and a regular contributor to The Increase and will be providing monthly articles and opinions.
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