Wednesday, June 6, 2007

The grass really is greener over "There"


I have been reading a 17th century book by Jeremiah Burroughs called Hope. Biblically the word hope means a certain good, a future good. Every person who is a child of God is a person of hopes; he is born to great hopes ( a certain good, a future good) and he serves God for the present but with a longing for what lies ahead - a certain good, a future good. There are wonderful things and painful things along life's road, but I think there is that longing for God's promises that will one day be fulfilled when we see Him face to face in heaven. Maybe this longing for eternity with God is why we long for events and appointments and occasions here on the earth. Maybe it is that longing that flings some of us all around the world in anticipation of adventure and some new thing that will bring great satisfaction or fulfillment. I don't long for travel but I long for the cool of the evening, Saturday mornings, the moments when I get to sit and drink up God's words during a sermon, reunions with family or friends. Maybe even these little earthly longings are indications of the one great longing deep within our hearts to be finally Home - whole, fulfilled, at peace with great joy forever.
Comments?

7 comments:

Sienna said...

mom,
this is one of the things i remember you sharing with me awhile back that ive shared with others...ive always remembered it. i think i want to read this book...
this was a beautiful entry.

kate said...

Damien surprised me when he put the picture with what I wrote. I think of you all the time and of course I wrote it for you and because of you. We have eternity in our hearts-made for eternity and we are just passing through-on some level we get that--can't wait to see yu and all your beauty.

Anonymous said...

This is such an awesome posting, Kste. The longer I live with James the more I long for heaven. When all seems way too hard here on this earth as it does for me this week, we should remind ourselves, among other thoughts, that our final rest and joy will be in Heaven. We have this Hope...

Sue said...

I would love to read that book! Such precious gems of truth, thanks for sharing...

Damien said...

if you're interested in the book just click on the word Hope (highlighted in red) in the text of kate's entry and you will be spirited to a place of procurement.

kate said...

and if you have this hope-this understanding of certain and future good, then you have the Anchor and the Helmet to keep you.
It will hold your soul from shipwreck. He holds all things together( especially our head when all we want to do is bang it against the wall!) More Burroughs with a few words from me.

faith said...

Want to lend me your copy of the book? I think it might be a good summer read for me. :)