Thankful for my Heavenly Homeland
Often, during the Thanksgiving season, we are exhorted to remember to be thankful for God and what he has done. And how could we not give you that same encouragement! We have an amazing God who has done so much for us. In Scripture, worship and thankfulness are often linked when we talk about God. It is through realizing that God is awesome, glorious, and mighty that we give him thanks—and we call that worship.
This month, we will be sharing articles from our elders and members as they reflect on God and what he has done in their heart and life that has led them to greater awe, thankfulness, and worship of God. Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Katie Miller.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV)
As we approach Thanksgiving, I wanted to reflect on something for which I am exceedingly grateful—my heavenly homeland! Rarely a day passes now that I don’t think to myself, “I can’t wait for heaven!” This was not always the case. I was excited about the promise of heaven and being with Jesus for eternity, but I was also excited about what the world had to offer—I wanted to go to college, to get married, to have kids, to own a coffee shop, to see the world, and to live to be 100. I used to say, “Jesus, I’m excited to be with you, but can you wait until after I’ve done xyz?” My “xyz’s” were all great things, and I’m thankful to have tasted a few of them (still waiting on the coffee shop, seeing the world, and that 100-year birthday celebration). But, the longer I live, the more I realize that the things of this earth only bring temporal pleasure. Our life and our experiences here last but a moment. And, suffering, sadness, and death are inevitably woven throughout. Thus, while I can enjoy this world, I’m losing my taste for its treasures. Rather, I long for something far greater! I long for the lasting treasures and eternal pleasures that are in store for me in the presence of Jesus,
“where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20 ESV)
This longing grows daily—whenever I’m rushed for time in talking with a friend, experience the pains of sickness in myself or in others, mourn the loss of a loved one, witness the debilitating effects of addiction or mental health struggles, see bodies break down, see destruction by natural disasters, feel disillusioned by our leaders and government, or recognize the deep rooted sense that I’m not yet where I’m supposed to be. These things make my soul yearn for that better country, ruled by the best King—that place I was made for, where “everything sad comes untrue.” Though I have not yet seen it with my own eyes, my Savior has prepared a place for me there (John 14:3), and my just and merciful God reigns over it. His kingship and his country are far greater than I could imagine. For…
“no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV).
As the author C.S. Lewis puts it,
“Even the common orange could not be imagined until it was tasted. How much more heaven!”
Though I won’t be able to really know the depths of heaven’s greatness or the glory of my King until I stand in His presence, it fills my heart with joy to think on it! Imagine a place that holds everything on this earth that is beautiful to you...loving relationships, scenic views, meaningful work, healthy bodies, grand adventures, delicious food, toe-tapping music, vast knowledge, inspiring art, contagious laughter, deep peace, sweet rest, complete security, perfect justice, noble leadership, and true freedom to be all God created you to be. Now, take all those beautiful things and remove the things that pervert them—pride, hatred, jealousy, misunderstanding, natural disaster, sickness, decay, brokenness, time, and death. What you get is a taste of our homeland and a glimpse of our perfect King—a place and a person that are in every sense of the word BETTER!
In fact, it’s better than better! It’s the BEST, because we will stand face to face with our God. He will dwell with us, and we will be his people, and God himself will be our King (Revelation 21:3). The barriers this world creates between us and God will be gone forever. We will see Him and know Him. In our homeland, we will, for the first time, see ourselves and others through God’s eyes—experiencing His breathtaking beauty in everything and everyone around us FOREVER!
Thus, this Thanksgiving, I sing out with praise and thankfulness for my homeland of heaven and for the person of Jesus, who paid the price for me to not only go there and experience all its pleasures for eternity but to go there to enjoy it all with Him!