To Live is Christ — filled with hope

After the third day or so of reading the same passage from my devotional guide, I wonder what fresh insights God will give me. The writer of the guide seldom offers anything. For this passage, he spiritualized most of it, such as asking what mountains the reader has left to conquer, or making trite comments about our food being tough to swallow, but not the food God gives.

This passage is not about conquering mountains, real or otherwise. It also is not about comparing my difficult lot in life with what God gives me. It is about His promise to His people after the end of our time here on earth. This quote is from the Living Bible.

In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken! (Isaiah 25:6–8, TLB)

This is a description of a Christian’s heavenly hope. It is the promise of God concerning that glorious event when time will be no more and our earthly life has become our everlasting life. It fills me with anticipation. All sorrow and struggle with sin will be over. I will celebrate my eternal life with Him.

My husband thinks this is not a literal feast. I’ve always thought it would be — based on the Bible truth that our bodies will be like the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. After He rose from the dead, He met with His disciples and they thought they were seeing a ghost, but . . .  

He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. (Luke 24:38–43)

I’m sure others have doubts too. What will we do in heaven? What will our bodies be like? I read this passage today and wondered what teetotalers and vegans will do with the wine and choice meat. Others could struggle eating with all the people of the world, some of whom they would not eat with prior to this feast. Perhaps the constant complainers will not know what to do when all gloom is lifted, or the most emotional people will protest when their tears are wiped away. The self-styled martyrs may not like it when insults and mockery no longer exist.

Of course I speak facetiously! No one will even think to be troubled or doubt the way God hosts this party. It will be so wonderful that the only negative thought anyone that have is, “Why did He invite me, a sinner?”

I’m chuckling as I write this. imagining perfection is beyond me. No matter how hard I try, I cannot fathom life without sin, even the sins of grumbling and speculation. All I know is that when I step into heaven, I will be filled with joy and glad to leave all my sorrows and troubles behind. I suppose then that this passage from Isaiah does have something to do with conquering and with comparing my lot in life with the next life. Because of Jesus, I will overcome all adversity in the end.

However, much of my life has held grand and wonderful things too. It is reasonable to affirm then, that none of it will come close to the delights of feasting with God and seeing Him face to face!