Longing For Heaven

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

No experience in this world can satisfy the longing for God. Not a spectacular mountain vista. Not a tug-of-war with a smallie. Not coffee around a campfire, not gathering with the people we love most. Not the latest gadgets, not professional fulfillment, not lovemaking, not birthday parties, not political triumph, not secure retirements.

"Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee!" - Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

Christ is all that we're longing for. All these others ring with his overtones, but they ring hollow without him. Without Christ, the pleasures of life mock and taunt. The heart is always eating, never full.

But it gets worse, before it gets better. Not only are these substitutes for God unsatisfying, they're idolatrous. We commit an error of eternal consequence -- idol worship -- when we seek our joy in anything but God.

And it gets worse still. We not only are insufficiently satisfied, and not only are we insulting God by our idol worship, but we hate God in our hearts. We reject his claim on our lives. We stand in opposition to him in our pride and self-sufficiency. We rejoice in wickedness in violation of his perfect holiness. We are his enemies.

So we are unsatisfied, deceived, and defiant enemies of God. As such, we will incur his righteous judgment and eternal punishment. An infinitely worthy, holy God is worthy of infinite praise, and when in our pride we trespass against his authority, we justly receive an infinite judgment. Heaven is denied us, and Hell awaits us.

But God, being rich in mercy, did not leave us to our selves. If you would be reconciled with God, if you would be forgiven your idolatry and rebellion, God has made a Way, the man Christ Jesus. Full pardon, total forgiveness, full acceptance and justification with God is available to you who confess your sin, forsake your rebellion, forsake your false gods, and embrace with your whole hearts the life, death, and resurrection of the Savior Jesus.

Isaiah 55
"Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money
for that which is not bread,
and your labor
for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me,
and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
...
"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD,
that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

"For as the rain and the snow
come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower
and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that
goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."