This World is Not My Home

Most of us get hurt in some way, at least one time every day. Maybe we trip and fall and get a bruise, or we catch a cold. Maybe someone else hurts our feelings, or we argue with a brother or sister. Maybe we lose something that is very special to us, or a family member dies. God set up Earth to be the perfect place to prepare us for eternity and decide where we want to go—either to heaven or hell. Part of that preparation is the pain and suffering we go through in our lives (Hebrews 12:5-11; Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-3).

One of the great things about "buying" a home in heaven is that there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain there (Revelation 21:4)! We cannot even imagine such a life, because we go through so much pain now. It is difficult to imagine what heaven will look like, because it will be a spiritual place, instead of a physical place like Earth. John tried to describe the beauty of a heavenly home using a physical description in Revelation 21-22, but we know heaven will be even better than that. After all, God, Himself, is the Masterful Builder of that eternal home (Hebrews 11:10)!

Jesus warned us not to spend so much time thinking about stocking up earthly treasures in our homes, trying to get everything we want from the store. On this Earth, there are thieves who will break in and take our things, and there are moths and rust that will cause our treasures to grow old or break. Instead, Jesus taught us to store spiritual treasures in heaven, where they will last forever (Matthew 6:19-20). While "the world is passing away," those who live with God will live in His home forever (1 John 2:17).

When we obey Jesus' commands, we are building a spiritual home in heaven, like the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). If we become Christians and obey God in this life to the best of our abilities, He will graciously give us that heavenly home with Jesus (John 14:2-3). And even better, we will live with Him forever (Revelation 22:5)!

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