I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. (John 6:45-47)

Read: Psalm 103, 108, 109, 110, 122, 124

Relate: I have a sunburn patch in the middle of the back of my head. Oh, the joys of being bald. I was out in the sun quite a bit yesterday and I figured I was protected. I had sunscreen on my neck and arms. I was wearing a shirt and a hat. I figured I would be fine. Right? Except the sunscreen wasn’t applied above the bottom of my hat. Above that strip there is this empty spot and the sun had a field day with my shaved head. It gets awfully itchy at night.

A couple days ago my allergies were killing me when I first woke up. The congestion was bad, but worse was that drippy, leaky faucet I sometimes call a nose. I was going to be out of the house and speaking to people all day long so this bothersome pestilence just would not do. I took a 24 hour allergy med. It didn’t touch it. So I figured maybe I had a cold. An hour later I am at Walmart buying some drippy nose medicine. Between the two it went away but I wasn’t very pleasant company until it did.

Drippy noses. Achy joints. Mosquito bites. Sore backs. Cuts, scrapes, scratches, and burns. We all get them. All the time. From nine weeks to ninety nine years old, we all have to put up with the nuisances of life let alone the true tragedies like cancer, disease, major injuries, and ultimately… death.

React: But death doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Death does not have to be a permanent condition. Those nuisances that demonstrate we are not living in a paradise, those tragedies that make life sometimes feel like a warzone, they will not e carried over with us. Some day I will experience a radiance far beyond anything the sun could offer even on the best of days… and it will not leave me burned. Some day I will be able to eat any food I wish with no worry about heartburn. Some day there will be no more stubbed toes, scraped knees, and headaches. Some day I will see Jesus as He truly is because I will be like Him. I know this is true because the Father has drawn me to Himself and now I am counted among His followers. Are you?

Respond: 

Maranatha, Lord. Come quickly. We long for the day when we will be with You forever.