Psalm 148

I long to be in a place full of holiness where there is no hypocrisy. I yearn for the happy fellowship of heaven, where the Lord of the land is entirely trustworthy, and where love is the way of life. I want to be in God's country.

That place exists even now. It is a realm where the Lord is perfectly praised by men and angels, and where there is no rebellion against His holy will.

I cannot see heaven. I know that it is real, and that the way to get there is through Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father. But the Lord has given me the vast skies to consider while I live on this earth. I can look at that great dome and consider the Maker of all things.

The sun, moon, and stars do their job marvelously. They praise the Lord. They were made by God not only for day and night, and for the seasons of the year, but also for signs that declare the glory of the Lord. God made the constellations, the Milky Way, and all the amazing clusters of galaxies that comprise the universe.

God commanded, and all that can be seen by mankind in the present realm came into being. They exist according to His decree, and they point to another realm that I cannot yet see.

I know that this other realm, heaven, exists, because God has revealed it in His Word. When His Son had made atonement for sin with His blood, He not only rose from the dead; He also visibly ascended into this other invisible heavenly realm on clouds of divine glory. He rules from that other realm. He is coming from there at the day of His choosing, and He is bringing that other realm, the heaven that is invisible to me at present, upon the world that I can see now, and there will be a new heavens and earth.

This plan is His settled decree. He will not change His mind. He will unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.

This visible order of the present universe, even though it has been fatally wounded through the sin of one man, still testifies to the glory of its Maker. It is under the sovereign control of Almighty God, and every component in it exists to fulfill the purposes of the Lord. The Lord who had the power and wisdom to accomplish all of this is also the Lord of love who became man. Imagine that! The Son of God who was born of Mary and who died for me is the same Son of God who has secured for me a glorious participation in the life to come.

Everything in the present order of creation is under His control and exists to do His holy will. Are there sea creatures in the depths of the ocean? They need to praise the Lord, following the impulses that come from His great purpose for all that He has created. This is true of all the places in this world and all the peoples that fill and rule over those places. It is also true of me.

As I wait for my day in a realm of perfect love, I must do the works of truth, love, and obedience that God has prepared for my life. This is enough for now. I need not covet what has been given to anyone else. I am a part of the church, not the whole of it. Others fill out the body of Christ with their gifts and calling, but it is the Jesus Christ of creation and redemption who is the Head of the body.

There is only one God. I will be satisfied in Him. I will praise His Name today and wait for His Son from heaven. Praise the Lord!