Sometimes the sorrows, setbacks, and disappointments of this life can weigh on our hearts. When things don’t work out, or when we suffer personal challenges or losses, or we see the human suffering in the world around us, the strain of it all can lead us to wonder if what we do makes a difference. Is it possible to bring about change in a world where there is war, poverty, injustice, evil, greed, and oppression?
When we consider the problems of this world, the outlook may not seem very promising. But at such times, we can find comfort in God’s Word and His promises of a better world to come. “Weeping may endure for a night,” the Bible says, “but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NKJV). For those who love God, the glorious morning of heaven will come after the shadows and the night of this life.
All the disappointments, broken dreams, and dark experiences of this life will be left behind and overcome when the glorious dawn of heaven comes. The Bible promises that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). In the book of Revelation, we read that God “will wipe away every tear from our eyes,” and “neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). There will be no more tears or suffering, no more death or sorrow.
As Jesus prepared His disciples for His imminent death and departure, He said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2–3). According to the description in Revelation chapters 21 and 22, heaven—the home of Christians of all ages—is breathtakingly beautiful, majestic, and stupendous. The streets of heaven are described as made of gold, and within its shimmering gates of pearl there is no need of a lamp or a sun, because God Himself is the light (Revelation 22:5).
Can you visualize a world with no more death, pain, fear, sorrow, or sickness—a society where everybody works together in harmony, cooperation, and love? Such a marvelous place is almost beyond our capacity to imagine. The Bible says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of men the wonders that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV).
One of the most outstanding differences between the earth life and heaven is that heaven is a perfect realm, a place filled with God’s presence. In heaven we will enjoy the beauty and wonders that we have here on earth, but without the sorrow, pain, emptiness, loneliness, and fear that so often grip us, and without the selfishness, greed, hate, and destruction that we see in the world around us.
God’s kingdom will be filled with love, beauty, peace, joy, and compassion. But most of all, it will be enveloped in the love of the one who loves us more than anyone—God Himself. The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). Therefore His home, the kingdom of heaven, is a home of love, where there will be no more sorrow, rejection, grief, loss, or loneliness (Revelation 21:4).
Contemplating the hope that we have in heaven and visualizing what we have to look forward to helps us to remember that the trials and tribulations of this present life are not worth comparing to the glory that has been promised to us in Christ Jesus. This is one reason why Moses could endure all that he did, because “he was looking [ahead] to the reward. He endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:26–27). He could persevere through the difficulties he faced by keeping his eyes fixed on the glorious future promised by God.
All the great men and women of faith of the Old Testament named in Hebrews 11 counted themselves as pilgrims and strangers in this world because they were looking for a city whose builder and designer is God, and a country that would belong to them. They were able to endure all kinds of tribulation and challenges on this earth and even persecution and death because they looked forward to that city (Hebrews 11:10–16).
Many people seem to believe that God’s kingdom will only become a reality when they die, but Jesus said, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, because the kingdom of God is in your midst. The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Luke 17:20–21 NIV; Mark 1:15). We don’t have to wait till we die to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, if you have received Jesus as your Savior, His kingdom is within you.
We who know and love God and have His Spirit dwelling in us are already experiencing the kingdom of heaven and are working to bring His kingdom to others. But this is only a foretaste of our inheritance in heaven. God’s Word tells us, “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14).
To enter His spiritual kingdom, Jesus said that we must be born again: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We cannot save ourselves by our own works, our own goodness, our own attempts to keep His laws and to love Him, or even our own endeavors to find and follow His truth. Salvation is a gift of God performed by a miraculous transformation of our lives when we believe in Christ and His resurrection and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Jesus opened the door to eternal life in His kingdom for each of us through His death on the cross. His love is so far beyond anything that we can understand or see with our eyes here on earth. His love can fill any emptiness and heal any pain or hurt. God’s love can bring joy where there was sorrow, laughter where there was pain, and fulfillment where there was a lack of purpose or meaning.
Once we enter God’s kingdom, He commissions us to share the good news with others, so that they can also experience His joy and salvation in their lives—both in this life and in the next one. When we invest our time and resources in that which has eternal value—God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)—we are storing up treasures in heaven that will endure forever. “And where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20–21).
If you haven’t yet received Jesus as your Savior, you can do so by praying this prayer:
Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for me and rose from the dead. Please forgive me for all my sins. I invite You to come into my heart and life. Please fill me with Your love and Holy Spirit, and grant me Your gift of eternal life. Amen.