Tag: inspirational devotional about heaven

A Day in Your Courts

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“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

Only what we do for Christ will last. Only where we settle our hearts and affection will it ever matter to our eternity as a whole.

David knew that to be where God is, is better than to be anywhere else.

Out of all the clamoring voices and vices for our attention, the still small voice of God welcomes us, lovingly, and ever so gently to come where He is.

Imagine, my friend, the peace of His presence in that place of worship here on earth.

Now, imagine for a moment, stepping into the heavenly courts before the throne of God. The beauty is incomparable. The peace is undeniable. The presence of the Almighty is unexplainable.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” Revelation 22:14. I want to enter in, my friend. I want to enter those gates. I want to enter that court and see with my eyes all the glories and wonders that cannot be properly put into words.

“I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness,” David said. And, I agree with him.

I would rather practice being in the presence of God here than to enjoy whatever wickedness is promoting as good.

I would rather work in the house of God here than live a lifestyle that separates me from Him. For a thousand years spent pursuing things outside of God cannot be compared to one day in His true presence.

Dwelling in the tents of wickedness today will forbid us from entering the gates in that time to come: “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie” Revelation 22:15.

Inside is better than outside.

Inside is beauty indescribable. Outside is pain unimaginable.

There is no comparison.

Imagine the holy thrill of just a day in God’s heavenly courts. Now imagine, and know this truth for yourself, that each of us has been given the invitation to dwell with Him there for all eternity. We would never have to leave the awesomeness of heaven that we behold there.

But to get there, and to experience for yourself that moment, that place, and time, you must repent and surrender your life today to the one true God who offers you the invitation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For a day with Him is better than a thousand years anywhere else.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” Matthew 25:34

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5

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“Our Upward Focus”

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“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

Fighting the good fight of faith is not about putting your dukes up.  It is all about putting your faith up.  It is more about taking a stand than taking a punch.  It’s ordering one’s life and steps according to the will of God for our lives (Psalms 119:133).  It is running the race of this Christian life and competing in this spiritual contest, pushing toward the finish line with every ounce of effort one possesses because there is a wonderful goal up ahead.

While we are pushing forth in the defense and protection and adherence of what we believe, we are doing it with the intent of laying hold of a prize.  Our prize is “eternal life” that we are living for.  At the end of any contest or struggle, there is something wonderful in our view, something magnificent that we are looking forward to.  Our stand through all we are facing today is in light of the victory we are promised to gain at the end, which is “eternal life.”

Heaven belongs to the believers!  Get that in your spirit today.  Life eternal is the ultimate prize for the one who refuses to give in or give up; to the one who does not get entangled by the things of this world others are chasing after (compare 2 Timothy 2:4).  That’s why Jesus taught, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life…” (John 6:27).  We have something better than money; we have something better than the materialistic things and social status’ to lay hold of down here.

Our purpose in being “called” and of having this “profession” of faith is to pursue the things of God.  To be God-focused and heaven-focused, not world-focused and getting caught up in the things we presently see.  It is pushing past every contention here while keeping an upward focus for our future.

(Revised excerpt taken from my previously published article Pursuing the Good Fight of Faith Sunday School Lesson)

*Photo above by Max Andrey on Pexels.com

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

A Time of No Shame!

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“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:25

The dispensation of innocence was a real time in our real history.  The pain of sin had not touched the world and the guilt of wrong wasn’t on any mind at that time.  The beautiful creation of humanity was unobstructed by these.

When the Fall entered in, with it entered a host of turmoil, and problems, and disfunction.  With it, entered in sin.  The beautiful creation was now out of whack from its original design.  That which was pure has now become tainted.  That which was whole has now become marred and broken.

During that time of innocence, shame did not walk the streets with the naked.  There was nothing reproachful or unhealthy in the view of humanity.  No discord in the body, heart, or mind was felt because it just did not exist then.

Friend, I encourage you with these words today.  There will come a time when we will walk streets again without the need to feel we must hide.  We will experience the joy of pureness again.  We will carry on without carrying with us the burdens of shame and regret.  We will enter a time when all tears will be wiped away along with the reasons that caused them.

The original creation walked naked and unashamed.  Unashamed.  Can we even begin to grasp the impact of all that word meant then and what it will mean in our future?

The wrongs that we have done and the things that we have a hard time seeing past just won’t be in our heavenly home.  Covered in the blood of the Savior, we stand right before God.  Not because of us, but because “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

That will be a time of no shame.  Yes, when Jesus freed us, we are privileged to walk in our day without it.  But, in that time and in that place, we won’t even see it.  Just as Adam and Eve didn’t see that they were naked, the things that we are so used to associating with shame will not be seen by us.  When we open our eyes in that place, all we will see is a purity that cannot be explained or fathomed on this side of glory.  For now, when we look around, the evidence of the Fall is everywhere.  But there, not even the slightest hint of shame will be seen because it never existed in that place.  And among the saints there, they are now redeemed and no longer spotted from the trials of this life: “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Revelation 19:8). 

For her, the Church, the redeemed, everything has been made “clean and white.”  She doesn’t carry with her into glory the shame of her yesterdays, for that day, in our heavenly abode, she enjoys, in Jesus Christ, being freed forever.  He took the shame (Hebrews 12:2) for each one and bore it all in His own body and through His sacrifice. 

  • “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” – Romans 10:11
  • “They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” – Psalm 34:5
  • “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” – Isaiah 1:18
  • “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

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