Revelation 7:11-12
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
SOAP:
John shares a beautiful glimpse of heaven in which worship will be the primary activity. This is the hope for believers in Jesus Christ – an eternity spent with God the Father and God the Son. Believers will finally have our home with God.
God draws us individually and reveals to us the path and the way to eternal life and salvation – Jesus Christ. Believers then have the beautiful promises of fullness of joy in the Lord’s presence and eternal pleasure coming through the right hand of God, Jesus. We will have eternal life, joy, and pleasure in our Lord’s presence in Heaven. How often and easy it is to forget that this world is not our home. We are strangers here. The inclination is to try to navigate and avoid the heartache, sickness, struggle, betrayals, frustration, and exhaustion here on earth. Our inclination is to create an anchor to this world and fix our hearts to it. We try to find fullness of joy and pleasure on this earth in things and in people. Unfortunately, this earth never fully satisfies and always seems to disappoint. Fullness of joy and eternal pleasure can only be found in the Lord’s presence, and believers will be in His presence in heaven. We will be free of sickness, sin, insecurity, pain, and heartache. We will have pure love for each other, free from hatred, insecurity, jealousy, and judgment.
In what ways have you anchored your heart to this world? Have you lost sight of the hope and joy that is waiting for you in heaven?
Father God, the heavens declare Your glory and reveal Your handiwork. Lord, I long for the day that I can be in Your presence, free from the hurts and pain from this broken world. Lord, sometimes it is so difficult to imagine eternity with You. The joy and splendor and glory of it all is unimaginable. Lord, remind me daily that Heaven does exist and that I will experience the fullness of it all with You. Lord, break the chains that threaten to bind me to this earth. Remove the desire within me to create a “heaven” here on earth with my family, friends, and my many things. Heal the disappointments that my journey on this earth has caused. Remind me of my destiny which is to be with You; full of life, full of joy, full of pleasure, and full of love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
