Title
We Cannot Imagine
Scripture
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
(2 Corinthians 5:1)
Devotional
I wonder, just wonder, if our heavenly mansion will be much more than a grand house, but an unfathomable body? The metaphor used here is most definitely in reference to our physical earthly bodies. Therefore, our heavenly house must also be a metaphor in reference to a heavenly body.
Think with me: Will we need houses in eternity? Will we need a place to rest, eat, sleep or entertain? The Lord tells us, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.”(1) That has got to be a big house to accommodate many mansions, unless God’s house is Himself. Consider, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”(2) Our perception of heaven, no matter how grand, at best will be lacking. It must be more than a wonderful place. It must be far beyond unimaginable.
(1) John 14:2, (2) 1 Corinthians 2:9
Thought For The Night
“God’s work in our lives can be painful, but His ultimate goal is to transform us into something better. Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage, but He is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Evening Text
2 Corinthians 5:1: For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Looking for Answers
· Does eternity have or need houses?
· Are buildings churches, or does the church meet in buildings?
· What do you think heaven will be like? Consider 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “Imagine”: To think with wonder, to paint an imaginary picture of things yet to be.
Referencing: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind,” Isaiah 65:17.
Applying: In a word, “Imagine.”