December 31

The apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” The Psalmist says, “The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship” (19:1). “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - - the moon and the stars you have set in place - - what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us?” (8:3&4). Indeed, who of us when looking at the beauty of the night time sky, or the wonders of a snow-covered mountain, or the splendor of a huge waterfall, have not been in awe at the glory and the power of God? Paul is saying that if God would create such beauty in the things we can see, there is no human way to imagine the beauty of the things we haven’t yet seen.
Revelation describes heaven for us in these words: “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband” (21:2). The Holy City, “was filled with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper” (21:11). “The city was pure gold, as clear as glass” (21:18). “The city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is it’s light” (21:23). John concludes his vision of heaven with these words, “And when I saw and heard these things, I fell down to worship the angel who showed them to me” (22:8). Even the glorious word pictures used in Revelation to describe heaven, as awesome as they are, still do not adequately picture for us what is indescribable.
“Faith is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is believing that God is faithful to His promises (Romans 4:18-25). Faith is agreeing with the Bible that God does not lie (Numbers 23:19; I Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2). And so, we look forward to that day when we look upon the glory and splendor of God face to face (I Corinthians 13:12) when we no longer live by faith, but live by sight! “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord !” (Revelation 22:20). In fact, the sooner, the better!