Picture great cloudbanks gathered to the west, blocking the late afternoon sun except for several small openings. Through those fissures, glowing beams of ethereal light stretch earthward.
Have the windows of heaven actually opened so God’s celestial Light could burst forth?
So it seems.
Other glimpses of heaven present themselves, too.
Think of a perfect morning with a cloudless azure canopy overhead, soft, silken breezes brushing against your skin, and birds in every tree praising God with their songs. Heavenly, you might sigh. And no one would argue otherwise.
Consider standing atop a mountain for a long-distance view of God’s majestic creation—ridge upon ridge, as far as the eye can see, covered with countless trees, and teeming with wildlife.
Consider cradling a newborn infant for the first time—peering into a pixie face with Daddy’s eyes and Mommy’s chin, coaxing tiny fingers to grasp one of your own.
Consider embracing that long absent loved one, finally returned home safely, and seeing happy tears in his eyes through tears of your own.
Such euphoric moments surely provide us glimpses of heaven, a preview of the splendor to come that God has so lovingly prepared.
Yet there are more hints, when:
- We sense God’s presence in the midst of a prayer, the melody of a song or the message of a timely scripture. “Heaven and earth are filled with his glory” (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 8:1). Surely one hint of heaven is God with us now—everywhere and at all times.
- We experience bona-fide God-enhanced moments, and holy God-bumps rise up on our skin. Perhaps you receive a phone call from someone you were just thinking about and praying for, or a thoughtful gift turns up on your doorstep the same day you received disheartening news. These are more than coincidences; they’re God-incidents.
- We enter a peaceful, uplifting sanctuary with other folks who genuinely care about God’s ways and each other. Just entering the door lifts our spirits and warms our hearts. (The Church ought to offer the most brilliant glimpse of heaven.)
- We revel in the sheer pleasure of worship, focused on celebrating our gracious God—a hint of the euphoric adoration of our King that we’ll enjoy in heaven.
- We sing with focused passion and the angels seem to join us. The classic, “Total Praise” by Carolyn Cymbala, inspires just that kind of singing. Do you know it?
- We witness a healing. Who has not been moved to joyful tears when the illness abates, the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear?
- We join with the Holy Spirit to introduce someone to Jesus, and the person accepts him into his/her life. There. Is. No. Greater. Joy.
These twelve circumstances, some repeated frequently throughout our earthly lives, prove* that “heaven-on-earth” experiences are not rare.
As Psalm 16:11 makes clear:
In God’s presence (here and now) is fullness of joy. In his right hand, (held out to us daily) are pleasures forevermore.
But, these wondrous events we enjoy in the present are just hints of what God has prepared for us in the future, for those who love him (2 Corinthians 2:9).
Just think:
What is to come will be
more breath-taking,
more joyous,
more miraculous,
more exciting
YET!
*In my humble opinion!
(Art & photo credits: www.outdoor-photos.com; http://www.freebigpictures.com; http://www.pinterest.com (2).
From the Inside Out 