“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie http://www.harvest.org/devotional
Written by Nancy Ruegg @ http://nancyaruegg.com
View original post @ https://nancyaruegg.com/2016/04/18/hints-of-heaven/
Picture great cloud banks gathered to the west, blocking the late afternoon sun except for several small openings. Through those fissures, glowing beams of ethereal light stretch earthward.
Have the windows of heaven actually opened so God’s celestial Light could burst forth?
So it seems.
Other glimpses of heaven present themselves, too.
Think of a perfect morning with a cloudless azure canopy overhead, soft, silken breezes brushing against your skin, and birds in every tree praising God with their songs. Heavenly, you might sigh. And no one would argue otherwise.
Consider standing atop a mountain for a long-distance view of God’s majestic creation—ridge upon ridge, as far as the eye can see, covered with countless trees, and teeming with wildlife.
Consider cradling a newborn infant for the first time—peering into a pixie face with Daddy’s eyes and Mommy’s chin, coaxing tiny fingers to grasp one of your own.
Consider embracing that long absent loved one, finally returned home safely, and seeing happy tears in his eyes through tears of your own.
Such euphoric moments surely provide us glimpses of heaven, a preview of the splendor to come that God has so lovingly prepared.
Yet there are more hints, when:
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We sense God’s presence in the midst of a prayer, the melody of a song or the message of a timely scripture. “Heaven and earth are filled with his glory” (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 8:1). Surely one hint of heaven is God with us now—everywhere and at all times.
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We experience bona-fide God-enhanced moments, and holy God-bumps rise up on our skin. Perhaps you receive a phone call from someone you were just thinking about and praying for, or a thoughtful gift turns up on your doorstep the same day you received disheartening news. These are more than coincidences; they’re God-incidents.
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We enter a peaceful, uplifting sanctuary with other folks who genuinely care about God’s ways and each other. Just entering the door lifts our spirits and warms our hearts. (The Church ought to offer the most brilliant glimpse of heaven.)
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We revel in the sheer pleasure of worship, focused on celebrating our gracious God—a hint of the euphoric adoration of our King that we’ll enjoy in heaven.
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We sing with focused passion and the angels seem to join us. The classic, “Total Praise” by Carolyn Cymbala, inspires just that kind of singing. Do you know it?
https://youtu.be/xCsJyzm83W0
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We witness a healing. Who has not been moved to joyful tears when the illness abates, the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear?
https://youtu.be/3m3r5xoYod8
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We join with the Holy Spirit to introduce someone to Jesus, and the person accepts him into his/her life. There. Is. No. Greater. Joy.