Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. John 14:6 TPT
Early in my Christian walk I thought Heaven was the goal. I set my sights on walking on those streets of gold and swimming in that river of life. But while Heaven is a beautiful place full of glory and wonders, it is not the goal.
The highest goal is to be in honored nearness to Father God, to be in His presence (Eph. 2:13). Like all fathers, Father God longs to be with His kids. He wants to celebrate our victories and comfort our losses. The problem is that if He gave us a hug, our flesh would be incinerated in His Holiness. Our sinful nature separates us from our Father’s presence.
Father God longs to dwell with His children so much that He sent Jesus to spill His blood for us. Because of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross, we can be in honored nearness to the Father (Heb. 9-10). When we love and obey Jesus, He and Father God dwell within us (John 14:23). The Spirit of God makes us His dwelling place, His temple.
So, even today, we have a measure of that nearness with God that both He and we long for. We can sense God’s Presence within us through His Spirit living inside of us. We can hear His voice leading and guiding us as we follow His Spirit. We can feel His power flowing through us as we partner with His Spirit. And so much more!
Even more exciting is that God has promised a “fullness of salvation” (Heb. 9:27-28). A day is coming when we will be fully present with our Father God. We will spend all of eternity basking in the light of His glory (Rev. 21:23).
Heaven is a wonderful place, and I look forward to exploring it. But more than that, I long for the day when I will be fully present with my Father God. Amen!