Heaven Is Worth It

25 Jul Heaven Is Worth It

WRITTEN BY: Mike Herr

Does it ever feel like the world is a dark place?  It seems like the news is predominantly filled with negative reports that strike fear into the hearts of us all. War, famine, disease, economies crashing—the list goes on and on!  Then, there are beasts in our own lives we may face:  loss of a family member or friend, anxiety, depression, financial hard times, being jobless—you name it!  Of course, there are also spiritual attacks that we must deal with coming from Satan.  However, despite all this chaos, there is still beauty in the world for us to see every day.  Maybe it’s someone getting married, a baby being born, getting that promotion at work.  Even though it may be hard to see at times with the hardships we are facing, God is working and providing beautiful moments for us to see every day.

I believe God has some beautiful moments for us even in the midst of our hardships.  He delivers and grows us through the sorrow and the pain.  We see how deep his love is for us when we lean closer into him.  We see a picture of the perfect beauty of God in Revelation 21:1-7 (NLT):

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

John, the author of Revelation, is showing us here that our struggles are only for a time.  One day those of us who consider ourselves followers of Jesus will dwell with God himself in the new heaven for eternity.  No more death.  No more pain. No more tears.  Suffering will be forgotten.  Can you imagine such a wondrous place?  God’s people will get to live in perfection with a perfect Savior—Jesus.  We will get to rest our eyes upon him and only know pure joy.  This is why it is worth enduring persecution, trials, and facing the beasts in our lives—all for his glory.  Not only because the pain is temporary, but also because we get to spend eternity with our perfect Creator.   This is why we store our treasures in heaven and not in earthly possessions (Matthew 6:20). This is why heaven is worth it!

Mike Herr

Young Adult J-Groups Area Coordinator

Mike has been going to The Journey for one and a half years.  He loves serving on the J-Groups team as the Young Adult Area Coordinator, connecting people to groups to help them grow into life-giving relationships.   In his spare time, Mike enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends, and spending time with his nieces and family.

Next Steps Resources:

Further reading: John 14 (NLT)

Full Disclosure Message by Pastor Mark Johnston

[The Sun Series] In Heaven YouVersion Reading Plan

Living For Heaven YouVersion Reading Plan