It was a particularly rough day at work. Something or the other just wouldn’t go right however hard I tried. I still had an important negotiation meeting in the second half of the day, but by then I was already running low on energy and motivation. This meeting was nothing different from the rest of the day, the situation was getting more complicated, with almost no signs of a resolution. There were some heated, animated discussions by various team members and I secretly hoped that somehow the meeting would just end and that we could go back to attending to more meaningful matters.
From where I was seated in the meeting room amidst that verbal scuffle, I could see outside the glass window across the roads, the high rises and residential apartments. My eyes glanced further ahead and somewhere in the distance, I could spot the red slanted rooftop of my apartment building. I have never been able to identify which one exactly is my apartment from that distance, but I recognize the building where I live very well.
A temporary rush of calm engulfed my mind; simply knowing that within a few hours the day would end. I would go home and soak in the comfort of my favourite place with my favourite people, with a cup of coffee and maybe watch a television show. And this particular meeting and all the day’s emotions would have become past, irrespective of how it ended. And finally, all that happened during the day wouldn’t bother me anymore.
In John 14:1-4, we read about Jesus telling His disciples,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Jesus comforts His disciples with a vision of their eternal home. The place He has prepared for us after we leave this temporary life.
I Peter 1:25 reads, “For, all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Life in this world is not forever. It is a very small phase compared to our time in eternity. And this short life is full of despair, malice, pain, suffering, interlaced with a few happy moments here and there. Sometimes it’s a difficult day at work, sometimes it’s a sickness of a close family member, sometimes it’s a friend who betrayed, sometimes it’s a child who is stubborn, sometimes it’s a financial crunch, the wearisome list of "sometimes…. " is simply unending.
But how great a comfort we have in remembering that this life is not forever, it is only temporary. When our time comes, we will go home, to the place Jesus has promised and prepared for us.
“A place where God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3,4
The beautiful lyrics of The Old Rugged Cross read, “Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away where His glory forever I’ll share….I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown.”
So when we go home, the long list of troubles will be no more. We will rejoice in eternity praising God and worshipping Him forever. Until then, God gives us strength to endure the troubles of this world, wisdom to solve the challenges, and grace to come into His presence and be reminded of our promised eternal home.
Photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash
Yesterday I struggled greatly with chronic pain from various health issues. The day felt heavy and long to me, and my thoughts went to this very subject! Heaven!! I opened my Bible to the same passages in your article and read them to comfort and encourage myself. One day I will have a body with no pain and will live every day in the presence of the God who saved me! Thank you for this...it helped to affirm my joy and continued longing for that day!!
Praying for strength and comfort for you Trish! Much love.
Thank you Vaniz for this encouraging post. This was sitting in my inbox for almost two weeks and today when I was emotionally drained to the point of numbness God led me to this post and was so encouraged by the reminder that "Life in this world is not forever. It is a very small phase compared to our time in eternity... and God gives us strength to endure the troubles of this world, wisdom to solve the challenges, and grace to come into His presence and be reminded of our promised eternal home."
Thanks for sharing Ritu. We have great comfort in the Lord. Prayers for strength for you to wade through your current challenges! Much love.