Meetings In Heaven
Family – March 2014 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Meetings In Heaven?
“For we see now through a dim window obscurely, but then face to face: now I know partially, but then I shall know according as I also have been known.” —1 Corinthians 13:12 JND
Many parents can identify with the father who was startled by a comment from his nine-year old daughter, "Dad, I'm not sure I want to go to heaven." It didn't take long to find out why. With childlike simplicity she had reasoned that heaven would consist of church meetings all day long: worship meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, ministry meetings – all without interruption. And, with childlike candor she wondered if such a schedule wouldn't become boring before long. It wasn't that she didn't love the Lord Jesus – in fact, it was her love for Him that caused her to be troubled by her thoughts.
Wisely, her father didn't rebuke her for her un-spirituality, nor did he question the sincerity of her faith in Christ. Rather he explained the difference between meetings and heaven in terms of the difference between man's doings and God's doings. "Meetings can be boring because imperfect people are involved in them," he said. "Those of us who take part seek the Lord's guidance, but we are imperfect so our meetings are too."
"But why will heaven be different?" she asked.
"Because there will be nothing imperfect there," he explained. "Everything will display the wondrous works of God. The One who arranges and directs things in heaven is the same One who created the things we enjoy on earth. Are snowflakes boring, or a sunset? What about autumn leaves? Could that God who created such an infinite variety of people, animals, colors, birds and fish be boring? But beyond all that, the Lord Jesus will be there! The One who loved us and died for us will fill us with joy forever in His presence. He will be satisfied having us with Himself and we will be also."
By the time He finished, the man had convinced himself, if not his daughter.
By Grant Steidl