One of my favorite songs in one of my favorite movies is "Do-Re-Mi" in The Sound of Music. The reason I enjoy this particular piece of music is because it corresponds with how my mind works. Here is the opening verse:"Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A-B-C
When you sing you begin with Do-Re-Mi"
This logic (according to Maria) appeals to my sense of order. I need to learn things from the very beginning. I am not one who can jump into a subject in the middle of a lecture. I need to learn the basics of an area of interest before I can move on to more extensive study.
So it was with my thoughts of Heaven as I began to confront whether or not this doctrine could be of any help to me in my time of grief. Therefore, the first struggle was very foundational: Does Heaven really exist? Once I became convinced that Scripture overwhelmingly affirms the reality of a physical place called Heaven, I was then able to ask questions about actual life there. What do people do, day in and day out, for eternity? Next came this thought: Does knowing about the afterlife help me to live this side of Heaven? And lastly, what about the Grand Finale of human history? Ephesians 1 states that God's goal is "...to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth." What will this look like?
This progression, then, will be my outline for "Heaven's Comforts: A Guide for the Grieving Soul." Our journey together will be structured around these four themes: Heaven Exists, Life in Heaven, Heavenly Living on Earth, and The Heavenly Finale.
That may seem like "Fa - a long, long way to run." But really... Let's start at the very beginning.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)
I love your inquisitive mind it causes me to wonder why I don't ask those kind of questions I just seem to accept what is written in the bible. Thanks for stirring up the waters of inquiery. I found a prayer this morning in my favorite morning book "The Valley of Vision" A Collection of Purtian Prayers and Devotions. This is a prayer for all of us as we journey here together on this endeaver.
ReplyDeleteEARTH AND HEAVEN
O Lord, I live here as a fish in a vessel of water, only enough to keep me alive, but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean. Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing, but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales; Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness, a warm ray to keep me from freezing; yonder I shall live in light and warmth for ever. My natural desires are corrupt and misguided, and it is thy mercy to destroy them; My spiritual longings are of thy planting, and thou wilt water and increase them; Quicken my hunger and thirst after the realm above. Here I can have the world, there I shall have thee in Christ; Here is a life of longing and prayer, there is assurance without suspicion, asking without refusal; Here are gross comforts, more burden than benefit, there is joy without sorrow, comfort without suffering, love without inconstancy, rest without weariness. Give me to know that heaven is all love, where the eye affects the heart, and the continual viewing of thy beauty keeps the soul in continual transports of delight. Give me to know that heaven is all peace, where error, pride, rebellion, passion raise no head. Give me to know that heaven is all joy, the end of believing , fasting, praying, mourning, humbling, watching, fearing, repining; And lead me to it soon! Amen DS