Weekly Devotionals - 9 January

The Apostle Paul had the experience of being caught up into Heaven where he heard and witnessed things of such awe and beauty that “it is not lawful for a man to utter”. (2 Corinthians 12:4)

In eternity, children of God are truly princes and princesses of the Heavenly Father. They are joint heirs with Christ and rule with Him. Consequently, they possess all things and are given crowns and mansions. Unlike the treasures of this earth, none of these possessions and privileges will pass away.

Everything in Heaven is fresh, new and clean. Nothing grows old or degenerates. All things last forever and retain their pristine state, even our bodies will be immortal and glorified as that of Christ’s.

There are too many wonderful things about our heavenly eternity to enumerate. These are all recorded in black and white as God’s promises to us.

Let’s deal with seven principal promises regarding our eternal bliss.

1st Promise of Eternal Bliss – We will continuously be embraced by the Lord’s presence and light

Revelation 21:23 tells us that we will no longer need the light of the sun or the moon, for the glory of the Lord will illuminate the entire Celestial City. No one will be devoid of divine presence and light for even a second. What an enlightened and holy way to live for all eternity!

2nd Promise of Eternal Bliss – The source of all temptations and troubles will be banished for good

Revelation 20:10 & 15 heralds the victorious news that Satan, the Anti-Christ, false prophets and all their followers will be incarcerated in the lake of fire forever. The source of all our woes and suffering will deceive and torment us no more!

Can you even imagine this? Finally, we are free from troubles and problems which plague us on earth. They won’t exist anymore, not even the slightest irritation or uneasiness!

3rd Promise of Eternal Bliss – No sin or sinner will be present where we reside eternally

No sin or sinner will be present where we reside eternally.

Revelation 21:27 declares that no unredeemed soul will be allowed in Heaven or the new earth. So evil will be totally absent.

On earth, people are careful not to establish their homes and families in a bad neighborhood. In the vast City of the Lamb, not even a lie can enter it. Think of the sheer purity and integrity of all the inhabitants!

In God’s eternal Kingdom, there is no such thing as bad company or bad influence. Everyone is godly and considerate yet no one is in need. Each is complete and sufficient in Christ. There is no reason for wrongdoing.

4th Promise of Eternal Bliss – The curse will be removed permanently

The terrible consequence of our first parents’ Fall is the curse that fell upon mankind which brought sin, lack, sickness, sorrow and death into the world. But when the curse is totally and finally removed, there will be no consequences or regrets to plague us again. We will live perfect and trouble-free lives. Revelation 22:3 promises that there will no longer be any curse.

5th Promise of Eternal Bliss – There will be no more pain, tears or suffering of any kind

Revelation 21:4 assures us that suffering will be a thing of the past. Never will there be heard a whimper or sigh, let alone cries of anguish.

No one can escape physical, mental and emotional pain while on earth. One of the greatest fears for many people is a lingering and painful sickness at the end of life. Everyone dreads pain and sorrow.

For the redeemed, the reality of a pain-free existence begins as soon as he crosses over to the other side. It is a great comfort to know that there comes an everlasting era when not one child of God will ever suffer an iota of pain again.

6th Promise of Eternal Bliss – We will have our own free-hold mansions in the Father’s dwelling place or estate

Jesus Himself promises that we will have our eternal home in the Father’s house in John 14:2-3. We can’t even begin to imagine what kind of material and furnishings will our eternal homes be made up of! They will stay brand new and dust-free forever because the law of atrophy will no longer apply.

This is the new Kingdom where no one and nothing grows old and dies. All things stay fresh, pure and new.

7th Promise of Eternal Bliss – Everlasting peace and security will be ours

Revelation 21:25 reveals two amazing facts about the Celestial City which will be our residence one day. The city gates will never be shut and there’ll be no more night.

The gates are always left open because divine love is demonstrably present and fear is absent. There will be no security threats, as not a single evil person exists there.

Our Lord of Light even forbids night to fall upon us so there will be no darkness. We will live in everlasting light in one unending day that goes on forever.

“What about sleep?” you may ask. We will not need to sleep, neither do we even yawn. We’ll be so full of life that words like “tired”, “weary” and “sleepy” will not be in our vocabulary.

There’ll be non-stop, meaningful activities which go on all the time as people pass through the city gates which are always open. This is because we will not need to sleep and it is daylight all the time.

Finally, peace and bliss, which man longs for all our lives, will be our portion. Sin, sorrow, sickness and pain will be totally eradicated. The vast new worlds (Heaven, earth and the universe) will be bustling with unending life.