You Brought Pavement to Heaven?
By Dawn Neely
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. Revelation 21:21 (KJV)
Believers must understand that this earth is not their home. We were created for the new heaven and the new earth that God has in store. Heaven will not be an interminable church service, rather, heaven will be a place of endless life and excitement.
Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven. Sometimes we talk about a God-shaped void inside the human heart. I believe there is also a heaven shaped vacuum, a sense that we were made for something more than this life. We were made to live forever somewhere. In a real sense we were made for heaven.
Most of us have heard that heaven is a place where the streets are paved with gold, the gates are made of pearl, and the walls are made of precious jewels. Those images come from Revelation 21, which offers us the most extended picture of heaven in the entire Bible. If you ask me if I think the picture painted in the scriptures in heaven are true, the answer is yes and no. Yes, the descriptions of heaven are absolutely true and, no, heaven won’t be anything like we imagine. It will be so much better!
I read a story recently that I want to share with you. It illustrates the point of how glorious heaven is and how small our imaginations are:
I love the old story of the rich man who, on his deathbed, negotiated with God to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God's reaction was that this was a most unusual request, but since this man had been exceptionally faithful, permission was granted to bring along just one suitcase. The time arrived, the man presented himself at the pearly gates, suitcase in hand - BOTH hands, actually, since he had stuffed it with as many bars of gold bullion as would fit. St. Peter said, "Sorry, you know the rules - you can't take it with you." But the man protested, "God said I could… one suitcase." St. Peter checked, found out that this one would be an exception, prepared to let the man enter, then said, "OK, but I will have to examine the contents before you pass." He took the suitcase, opened it, saw the gold bars and asked quizzically, "You brought PAVEMENT?" [Note: This story is from the sermon "Heaven" by Dr. David Leininger, March 30, 1997]
When the apostle John writes about heaven, he is telling us that the streets are paved with the purest of gold. That tells me that the things we value so highly in this life will be used as pavement there.
The saved of all ages will be in heaven. Certainly heaven will be more wonderful than our imagination can fathom. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. So the most important question for eternity is how can you and I know for sure we are going to heaven. God has made it easy for us to go to heaven. He did the hard part when He sent His Son to die on the cross for you. He paid the price for your sins so that you could one day stand before God in heaven. Jesus said;
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (KJV)
Jesus is the only way to heaven. If you want to go to heaven, and know once and for all that your eternal selection is secure, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. There is no other way.
Dear Father God, thank You for being “The Door” (John 10:9 KJV) through which we can enter heaven. You made this unimaginable place for us so that we could be with You for eternity. We all need solid ground on which to stand. And we have it in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I pray that each person who reads this devotion today can say without hesitation that they are standing on the Rock of Jesus. May God help us all trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone for our salvation. And may God grant that one day we will meet in heaven. In my Savior’s name I pray, Amen.
© 2020 by Dawn Neely. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Tuesday, 23 June 2020.
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