Chad Lewis’ Blog

As I was sitting in Dr. Ware’s theology class this week, he told a story from his youth that I would like to relay to you this week. On Thanksgiving each year, his family was allowed to eat breakfast, but they were required to skip lunch. Their mom’s thought process was that they would definitely be starving by the time dinner came around and they would be able to enjoy everything all the more.

Sometime during mid-afternoon, the young Bruce Ware would be smelling the incredible aroma of the feast and would be driven by his starvation to go into the kitchen and ask for something so he wouldn’t die. His mom would slice off some small portion of what she was working on to tide him over.

He compared this to us having the Holy Spirit as a pledge in our lives. For now, we can experience God in real ways as we daily worship Him and as we commune with other believers. If you can imagine a time in your life where you felt closest to God and the Spririt was welling up inside you, then you got a little scrap from the table. Our bodies groan for redemption and God is gracious enough to remind us that the best in this world is but a small nibble for the feast that is coming for all eternity. Hunger is a good thing because it reminds us that we need to eat. C.S. Lewis said it was a good thing that we have longings that cannot be filled by anything in this world. He said that it was a good sign that we were made for another world.

As we think of heaven and our brief time here on earth, let us strive to rest in Christ and abide in Him each day. We will have all eternity to enjoy God, but we must seek to enjoy Him now. As we are not guarenteed our next breath, let us strive to seek God’s face and show love to a world that is in desperate need of the truth of God’s amazing grace. Our home is coming, and it is a good thing to be encouraged by the thoughts of eternity. However, we must make the most of these moments and proclaim the truth of the gospel to a world in need so that they may hear how they too can join in on this amazing feast.

(I will post one more installment on Heaven next week concerning the massiveness of the Universe and some possible implications on our eternal dwelling place.)

Filed under: Heaven and Hell by Chad Lewis