Just Over There

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

So, how close is Heaven anyway? Apparently close enough to keep an eye out for repentant sinners. I am glad for their joy, and hope to have a hand in providing more of it!

Some might think of Heaven as too far away to know what is going on here on the Earth. Perhaps they are more comfortable with the thought of a nice dark distance between their deeds and the light of Heaven. Others don't mind if Heaven is physically close as long as no one there can see into the dark caverns of the mind of the sinner. Might as well get used to it folks, God and Heaven are very much linked and the Lord who created the heavens and the Earth can see all things, even those secret thoughts of sin. Whatever the distance might be, the Lord is close enough to see all.

Now that might seem like something meant to frighten us into constant good behavior, but much better is a cleansing of the heart and the closeness of the Spirit of God who is working that cleansing even now. And how often do we get to begin and end a sentence with the same word? Heaven and Earth began with the same Creator and both will be ended and renewed by the same Holy One. Heaven is, I believe, and it is so very close that the saints see the repentant sinner and rejoice with God. Heaven is just over there, and yet we cannot walk there or see that great rejoicing. Just over there.

Just over there is a new saint. He was the father of a friend of mine. He was my father. He was your father, brother, husband, friend, and brother in Christ. Just over there, a sister in Christ greets our Lord Jesus in person for the first time. She didn't see Him quite so well as she thought in her Bible study, but now she sees Him clearly and perfectly. Just over there, they wait for us. Just over there they might tell us to quit worrying over perfection; we cannot do it anyway and Jesus will take care of it just over there.

Have a blessed day in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Bucky