Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

30 July 2024

Reading From Isaiah 59-63

“No longer will violence be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
    and your gates Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
Your sun will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow will end.
Then all your people will be righteous
    and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
    the work of my hands,
    for the display of my splendor.
The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”

–Isaiah 60:18-22

This passage from the Prophet Isaiah reminds me of my Great Uncle Dale Cheek’s favorite hymn, “What a Day That Will Be” by Jim Hill

There is coming a day,
When no heart aches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye,
All is peace forever more,
On that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Jesus is our Soon-Coming King!  As the people of God, we have been awaiting His glorious appearing ever since He ascended into the clouds from Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 1.  Every day we live in our present reality is one day closer to His return.  What comforting and precious promises we have in God’s Word.  When will all of this happen?  In it’s time, He will do this swiftly.[1]

     Isaiah reveals that violence and sorrow will no longer be part of life for the sons and daughters of the Most High God after Jesus returns.  As we discover in Revelation, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will dwell in the New Jerusalem.  This means that a person must experience the new birth through faith, confession and repentance in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ in order to enjoy eternal life and perfect unity with God the Father.

     As we live our lives on Earth, we are limited by time and space.  From the moment we are born again, God takes up residence within us and we are connect by His Spirit to our brothers and sisters in the Lord and with God Himself.  We are sealed by the Spirit unto the Day of Redemption and we are seated with Christ in the Heavenly realms.  It’s as though we’re as good as there spiritually, but still have to live here in bodies that struggle with illness and aging and our spirits have to wrestle with our sinful natures. 

     When a follower of Jesus dies, their physical bodies are still stuck in the time and space of our present reality, but our spirits immediately step outside time and space to be with God.  “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”[2] 

     He created the Earth and set it in orbit around the sun.  He also made the moon and the stars and together these heavenly lights help us to mark the times and find our way in His creation.  But He is the Creator and Sustainer and His creation is not greater than He is.  So therefore, time and space cannot limit Him.  “To be absent from the body is to present with Lord.”[3] 

He is able to keep close to His heart those who are His.  For them, there is no waiting in darkness for us to join them.  I believe that from their perspective, they are immediately with God and also with all of us who had to wait to catch up with them. For us, the waiting is hard. For them, time passes in an instant.

     Those of us who are left behind when our loved ones transition to the New Eden are still connected to them by the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.[4]  It isn’t wrong for us to still feel that connection with those who have gone on.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”[5] 

     While feeling that connection and even their presence is comforting to us, we must be careful about how we communicate with them.  Most people who have been physically separated from loved ones by death have spoken to them while visiting their grave or another place that was special to them.  But it is vital that we go to God Himself for knowledge, wisdom and guidance. 

He is able to do more for us than anyone who has passed on into His eternal care.  We can remember the lessons our loved ones taught us and the wisdom they shared, but we are told by the Lord that we need to consult Him rather than those who have crossed over for real-time instruction.  “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”[6]

We serve the Living God and those who have been made alive in Him are part of His eternal family. It is there in that loving, spiritual community that we discover our deepest sense of belonging. His perfect love casts out all fear.

“God, thank You for these words of comfort, peace and hope from Your Scriptures.  I pray that You will continue to guide us into all truth with the gentle leadership of Your Holy Spirit.  Be with those who are grieving.  I ask that You would cause them to feel Your loving Presence with them, reassuring them that all will be well in the end.  In the Name of our Soon-Coming King, Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

–I Corinthians 15:50-55

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[1] Isaiah 60:22, Ecclesiastes 3:11

[2] II Peter 3:8-9, Psalm 90:4

[3] II Corinthians 5:8

[4] Romas 8:11-13

[5] Hebrews 12:1

[6] Isaiah 8:9