Latest / The Daily Word / September 16 – Keep Heaven on Your Heart
Transcript
- Brandon: Well, welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word Podcast. In case we haven't met, my name is Brandon, and I am so thrilled to have you here with us today. In case it's your first time, we're taking time every single day to share out of the New Testament portion of the Life Journal Reading Plan, the reading plan that we use, simply taking a minute to share with you what it is that we're catching from our time with God. The purpose, number one, to encourage you. To give you some daily encouragement to put in your pocket in 10 minutes or less, and also to remind you that God really does want to spend time with you. And so grab a Bible, grab a journal, and jump in to become someone that does their daily devotions. That being said, today is September the 16th in our New Testament reading in the book of Revelation. Can you believe it? We're almost there. We made it one more day in the book of Revelation. I hope you've been reading every day with us. but Revelation 21, I want to read to you from verses three through verse five. Here's what it says. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There'll be no more death, no sorrow, no crying, there will be no more pain. For the former things have passed away. Then he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write for these words, are true and faithful. I've never done this before. but I have a friend who who's done this. And he was getting ready for a vacation that he that he was going on. And this was a I forget where exactly what it was, but it was like a tropical vacation. This is in college, by the way. It's n nothing you know recent. but he's getting ready for a tropical vacation. And he was going with you know a bunch of other friends, and they were going to some some island. And so he put up on his his mirror, I think it was in his college dorm room, put up put up on his mirror a picture of this island, just this beautiful beach, beautiful sand, beautiful water. And he put up a a a picture, ki kinda weird, but it he he did it, of this guy that was like, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger buff. Because he he was saving money to go on this trip, and he was trying to exercise and diet. So when he went on this trip, in his own eyes, he looked awesome on the beach. I know, ridiculous, kind of silly. But but I think about that because the reason he did that is because he didn't want to save money. No, he wanted to spend money. And he didn't want to eat healthy. No, he wanted to eat junk food. And he didn't want to go to the gym. No, he wanted, he wanted to sleep in. But there was a goal. There was a picture. There was a thing in front of him. He knew I want this. More than I want to spend money right now, I want to save money so I can go on this trip. More than I want to eat junk food, I want to eat healthy food so I can, you know, lose some of this body fat I'm carrying. more than I want to sleep in, I want to work out so I can have some muscles when I go on this trip. And he had in front of him a picture of the destination that he was trying to get to. The book of Habakkuk says this that where there is no vision, it's hard for people to run. Proverbs says, where there's no vision, people cast off restraint. Why am I sharing all of this? Because we have in Revelation 21 in this scripture a picture. Hear me today. A picture. Of what it is that our faith is in. Our faith is not for this life only, our faith is for eternity. For life is short, eternity is real. And the life we are living right here, right now, it is short, it is temporary, it is fleeting, it is passing. But the life that God has promised us eternally, it is forever. And here in Revelation 21, the author says, And I heard of loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and he they shall be his people. God himself shall be with them and be their God. there's nothing like the presence of God. There's nothing like being in the presence of God. the small taste we have here on earth as we experience his presence. Through his spirit, but to be in his actual presence. It's the promise we have. That God Himself will be with us and will be our God. Says verse 4 God will wipe away every tear from their eye. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying. There will be no no more pain. Think about this: every tear, every hurt, all the pain, all the disappointment, all this, all that we suffer in this, it'll all be wiped away. For the former things have passed. Verse 5 says, Behold, I'm making all things new. And he said, Write these things, for they are true and they are faithful. Hear me today. The reality of what God has promised us eternally, that there will come a day that Jesus will return, He will make all things new. We will be with Him in paradise forever. Is a faithful and a true reality. And therefore We put that picture on our wall. Like my silly friend put a picture of Fiji and Arnold on his mirror. We put a picture of heaven on on the mirror of our heart. I got heaven on my heart. Hey, wait, what what gives me the ability to endure the pain and suffering of this life and not give in to temptation? I got a picture on my on my heart of where I'm going. Hey, what gives you the ability to be disciplined and diligent and serve the Lord with all your heart, to not give up and give in? I got a picture on my heart. What gives you the ability to just keep going to an I got a picture on my heart? My observation and application is that we need a picture on our heart of heaven. We need on our hearts a picture of eternity that we keep on going back to, saying, Lord Jesus, come quickly. While this life may be full of pain. And sorrow and tragedy and trial, and while it's difficult, Lord Jesus, come quickly. For I will not give in, I will not give up. No, I will continue, I will endure to follow you. For the picture on my heart is my reality, it's what I'm chasing that you will return. And for all who endure, for all who who choose to keep going, for all who Who do not give up and give in, but all who will stay true and faithful to Christ, you will return, you will receive us into eternity, and we will be with you in paradise forever. This is our reality. And so my encouragement to you, application, is even if you got to take this verse and verses like it and write it down. Put it in your car, put it on the mirror of your heart, and every day go back to it. Do it. Be because it's the vision of what is to come that gives us the ability to faithfully run. It's the vision of what is to come that gives us the ability to have discipline and restraint. We need a vision, a picture of heaven on our heart. And so my encouragement today is let us stir ourselves up in the reality of eternity that we might put our faith in Jesus, put our eyes upon Jesus, and run with endurance. Lord Jesus, I pray today for myself, but everyone who will listen. And in the name of Jesus, I pray by the power of your spirit, you will give us a picture of heaven. God, when we begin to see in our hearts the reality that there will be a day that you will be with us. You will be amongst us, not just your spirit, but you will dwell amongst us. We will be in your presence, that you will wipe away every tear, that all things will be made new, and we will be with you, drinking the reward of eternity for all. Of eternity. God, give us a picture of that and would it enable us to faithfully follow you with all of our heart, being about your business, following your word and your ways until the very end. Holy Spirit, help us to keep these things and be mindful of them in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. I mean, I don't know about you, but I just encouraged myself on the Daily Word podcast. And so I hope today that was an encouragement to you. Let's keep heaven on on on on the picture. That doesn't make heaven on the picture. That doesn't make sense. Let's keep, I'm trying to say, let's keep a picture of heaven on the window of our heart. What am I saying? It's time to end this podcast. We love you so much. We'll see you tomorrow on another episode of the Daily Word podcast.