Another Bit Of Magic

My daughter left for a short vacation early this morning. When I woke up, I remembered and thought, “She’ll be back soon.” Then it occurred to me that my wife was still gone…and isn’t coming back. Then I thought, “She’s gone on ahead.” First loneliness and then great joy. She’s gone on ahead. She just went first. It’s like when we went places and I opened the door for her, and she went “on ahead.” The difference is that then I went through a few steps behind her. Now, I’m a few years behind. Same door, same future, same glory. Face to face with our Lord and Savior—glory.

Sometimes I forget what awaits. Scripture has a lot to say about where Christians are headed. It is called our Hope. For this, we live the way we live. We’re looking forward to something else. Here are a few instances:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16) 

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (Jn 5:24) 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25–26) 

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Rom 8:25) 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Phil 3:20–21) 

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Phil 1:21–23) 

And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:12–13) 

Notice a few of the phrases that refer to our eternal state (which has already begun, by the way): “everlasting life,” “death into life,” “resurrection and life,” “hope,” “eagerly waiting,” “transformed body,” “conformed to his glorious body,” “to die is gain,” “in Him we have hope,” “the God of hope,” and “filled with joy and peace in believing.”

There are whole books on this topic, but I need to be reminded from time to time that we aren’t created to live on this earth like we are. We are meant to live on this earth in the presence of the glorious God. The One who created us and loves us. And if we believe in Jesus this end is assured because he rose from the dead to prove it all true.

Life here is temporary, filled with death and dying. There, there will be no sadness, no trouble, only glory and peace, and joy.

And here’s the thing, we’re all going there. We’re headed there right now. While riding my stationary bike, I was watching the Cross-Fit games a few months ago and I was saying to myself, “Mike, with a little training and practice, you could do that.” Then I hopped off the bike and did a little research to see what I needed to do to get the training. What I found was that there are age categories for competition. And my age doesn’t have a bracket. I’m too old to compete in the Cross-Fit games. It seems like just yesterday, I was swimming several miles a week, playing open level racquetball, and bench pressing 300 pounds. Today, I can’t or at least don’t. The difference? I’m dying. We’re all dying. As soon as we’re born, we’re dying. We just don’t notice it until we try to compete in the Cross-Fit games and find out that they don’t have an age bracket for us.

So, I’m dying. My wife went on before me, but I’m not that far behind, especially in the light of eternity. So, how should I react to that news? Not grimly. Dying is a fact. Eternity with Jesus is also a fact. But the second fact makes the first fact a good thing. I’m pretty sure that if there was anything I could do about dying, I’d do it. I’m used to being here. I like my life here (except for that thing about getting older). But knowing that I am going to live forever with Jesus, makes living here a little bit dull and boring. There is joy and life and peace with him in glory changes everything. I can actually think like Paul when he said, “to be with Christ is far better.” I can actually look forward to dying, not because it is dying but because I’m going on a glorious trip to see great folks in a wonderful place.

It is an interesting thing, I’m dying, which is moving me closer to the glory that comes after death, and I’m growing in Grace and Christ’s likeness which is also preparing me to live in his presence. Another bit of magic.

Image by DarkWorkX from Pixabay