Heavenly Places

The other day, a hummingbird visited our geraniums and fed from each blossom before darting into the sunset.  That brought back a memory of using a watering can one day and having a hummingbird come up and drink from the stream of water.  Every encounter with hummingbirds is a special gift from God.  It is amazing that such a brief moment can bring such great joy.

Sometimes we view our heavenly reward as some place light years away that is bright light and stark nothingness; but the God of all creation does not deprive himself of beauty, color and all of the variety that we see in his creation today.  Hollywood has branded on our minds with a counterfeit representation of eternal life.  Saturday morning cartoons have shaped young minds with false images of God, heaven and eternal life.  It makes for good entertainment, but it is not truth.

There is majesty in mountains and a beauty in their valleys; the variety of flowers, colors and all manner of plant and animal life that live in God’s biosphere that sings praises to God.  Wake early enough on a cool summer’s morning and you will hear the creation of God proclaim a new day.  The sounds are amazing.

God is Creator, Savior and Sustainer of all things and especially of human life.  Ignoring this fact will not make it any the less true.  A pillar in our fellowship, taught me to spend time in heavenly places.  That means, truly connect with God and meditate on his greatness.  Don’t just look at the wonders of creation, but truly see and taste that the Lord is good, as the psalmist says:

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalms 34:8).

Truly God’s creation tells of God’s greatness and reveals his awesome mind for details and the artistry of his creative nature.  David wrote about this in Psalms 19:

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun” (Psalms 19:1-4).

It is obvious that God enjoys creating and all of his work was proclaimed good at creation.

“And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:30-31).

Allow your thoughts to sweep you away in prayer.  Praise God’s great and glorious name.  Imagine the future at the return of Jesus Christ.   Picture the peace and beauty that will be restored; a world filled with the knowledge of God.  All nations will work together in unity.  The nature of animals will changed; no more deadly things.  Children will play in safety; no more danger, pain or sorrow.   Our meditations in prayer can transport us into heavenly places.