Look Up (Daily Refresh 8-27)

It’s normal, as well as understandable, to spend our time, energy, and attention focusing on the here and now. We’re busy, after all. Sometimes we’re preoccupied. And when we stop to really think about it, it’s difficult to perceive something beyond our five senses.

But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul encourages his fellow believers to look up:

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As you think about Paul’s words and the realities of heaven, here are four things to consider:

– First, heaven isn’t some vague, dream-like state. It’s a real place, with real people, where God is the true King.

– Second, there will come a day when we will all meet God face to face. We will no longer need faith or hope, because that which we’ve hoped for will finally be revealed.

– Third, our troubles and our heartbreaks (and even death itself) are temporary! Scripture tells us that, eventually, God will do away with pain and death and sickness and suffering—forever.

– Lastly (and most importantly), God is still on His throne, with Jesus beside Him in the place of honor. No matter how crazy, senseless, or heartbreaking the world can seem, we can have confidence knowing that nothing is outside of God’s sovereign plan.

So when you’re tempted to look around at others or look inward at yourself, look up instead. Heaven is wherever God is, and that’s the truest reality of all.

My Thoughts

I needed this devotional today as this week has been one of medical appointments daily. Today I finish this week’s appointments with two of them and both involve needles. Ugh! But I know that the pain, no matter how severe it seems at the time, will be temporary. God will be with me there and in all I face in the future. I have lived with asthma all of my life. I have known about and lived with a failing kidney for the last almost twenty years. I just found out about the congestive heart failure last month, so I am still getting used to having a physical body that is breaking down. Tests, specialists, warnings, cautions, have all become part of my life. I am looking forward to Heaven when all of this pain and uncertainty cease. One of my grandchildren asked me once how they will know me in Heaven if we are all changed. I told them with laughter in my voice and a smile in my eyes that I would be the one running everywhere since I have never been able to run here on earth. Heaven is God’s plan for us and earth is His temporary holding place. That thought gives me hope and it should give you hope too!