If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
The great missionary David Brainerd who sacrificed so much to take the gospel to the various Indian tribes in America at a time when such an outreach was extremely rare knew that he was dying. Not yet thirty years of age, his body was ravaged by tuberculosis. In those final days he continued to write in his diary. His last entry says this: “My soul was this day, at turns, sweetly set on God: I longed to be with Him, that I might behold His glory. I felt sweetly disposed to commit all to Him, even my dearest friends, my dearest flock, my absent brother, and all my concerns for time and eternity. Oh that His kingdom might come in the world; that they might all love and glorify Him, for what He is in Himself; and that the blessed Redeemer might see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied! ‘Oh come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Amen.’”
The value of the things of this world pale in comparison to the things of Heaven. If we love God as we should, we should have no greater desire than to be as close to Him as possible and to invite others to join us in His family. There is coming a day when we will see Jesus face to face. Whether that is at the rapture or when we die, it is certain and settled that we will be with Him. In that moment all of the old nature will be banished forever, and we will truly be like Jesus. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
