Do you see what I see?

are with the Lord now, so we can smile as we try to imagine the greatness of where they are.

More importantly, we can give thanks, considering “who” they’re with. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5: 8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” While we don’t know geographically where Heaven is, we know that Heaven is wherever Jesus is. Those that die physically “in Christ” are there with Him the moment they take their last breath here. In some cases, I wonder if they’re not there sooner.

For many of us that aren’t anywhere near death, we don’t consider Heaven nearly as much as we should. Don’t get me wrong, there’s moments when I see my people suffering and I think about how great it would be for them (and myself at times) if the Lord Jesus would go ahead and get us out of this ever- worsening mess. Still, there’s no time that I consider Heaven as much as when someone is perishing.

2 Corinthians 4: 1618 reads, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The phrase “though our outward man perish” in verse 16 actually means “though our outward man is perishing.” That’s right, from the moment we take our first breath until our final breath in these mortal bodies, we are perishing.

With that being said, let’s give attention to the remainder of the verses. While our flesh is slowly ( and sometimes rapidly) wearing out, our minds are being renewed every moment. As we follow Christ, we are becoming more and more like Him. Following Christ also means that we are daily taking up our own cross. As we suffer through things in this life, we should remember that this suffering is only temporary. It’s also necessary, in that if we are going to reign with Christ, we also must suffer with Him. All the while that Christ was enduring the rejection, shame, the physical beating, and being forsaken by the One who loved Him most; His thoughts were on His Father’s will and Heaven. That’s where our thoughts as believers in Christ should be, knowing that our next breath here could be our last. Yes, let’s think more on the unseen things to come, and less on the temporary things we see today. It will make this life more joyful. Be Blessed.