December 8, 2011
In The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis tells the story of a woman who gave birth to a son while confined as a prisoner in a dungeon. Since the boy had never seen the outside world, his mother tried to describe it by making pencil drawings. Later when he and his mother were released from prison, the simple pencil sketches were replaced by the actual images of our beautiful world.
In a similar way, the inspired picture the Bible gives us of heaven will someday be replaced by joyful, direct experience. Paul understood that our perception of heaven is limited until one day in the future when we will be in Christ’s presence. “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). Yet Paul’s confidence in future glory gave him strength in the midst of trial: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).
Our current idea of the glories of heaven is only a simple sketch. But we can be completely confident in Jesus’ claim that He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). The best is yet to come!
And the glories I there shall behold;
What a joy that will be when my Savior I see
In that beautiful city of gold! —Anon.
but one day we’ll see Him face to face.
Read: 1 Corthians 13:8-12
