Feed Your Soul: The Glory to Come, Part II {Heaven}

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17

 

The truth of a future glory does not bring your baby back to you, but it will bring you to your baby. Is the view of heaven not greatly expanded when contrasted with the darkness of baby loss?

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Read the Hope Mommies doctrinal statement about heaven:

HEAVEN: We believe Heaven is a real, actual place, is constantly referred to as “up” in location, and is the dwelling place of God, the staging ground of His angels, and the dwelling place of redeemed from earth that have died. There is immediate conscious existence, great joy and pleasures. Heaven provides for the believer delivery from material decay, corruption, and the sinful human condition. In heaven we will be reunited with Christian loved ones who have gone before and those who will come after us, worship God with all the angels and redeemed, and sing praise with all of God’s creation. (John 1:32; 6:33; Acts 1:2; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:51; Deut. 26:15; Matt. 6:9; Luke 2:15; Matt. 28:2; Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 4-5; Luke 16:22-25; 23:43; Phil 1:23; 1 Cor. 15:20, 48-49; 1 John 3:2; Psalm 16:11; Matt. 6:20; Rom. 7:24; 1 Thes. 4:14-18; Rev. 7:9-12)

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Your child’s story, and, believer, your story, are connected to this beautiful light of heaven. Like strands of a tapestry, it is woven securely, solidly into your life’s story. You have a sure hope that goes around the corner of this world to heaven, or, in the words of Scripture, “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,” (Hebrews 6:19). Your soul is anchored to a different world—the best, glorious world that is just behind the curtain of this world.

 

Let this settle within—this truth of heaven—and consider what it means to live now in view of its glorious reality. It is a truth made to be swallowed soundly, to reach where it will reside always. It feeds the soul; it shapes the soul; it transforms you. And it burns within you all of your days to keep you warm in its golden light. The light of truth can never be taken from you. When thinking of light, take a look at the view you have from around the corner of this life into the next. Look at the light that shines.

 

It is Jesus.

 

The light of the world where your baby lives, and the light that keeps you forever warm is Jesus Christ. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Every thread woven into your life that shines through this darkness with hope is because of Him. That anchor that secures your soul to the glorious place behind the curtain of this world was given to you only because you have a representative there who has spoken your name with His sacrifice and reserved your seat with His resurrection. Your representative is Jesus Christ. For He “has gone as a forerunner on our behalf,” (Hebrews 6:20). There may be, today, questions surrounding the name of Jesus in your mind and heart. Will you ever pray for another request again? Will you ever be able easily remember Him as good again? There may be many more. So, perhaps your view of Him has been obscured; sorrow has come as a dark storm cloud, blocking the sun.

 

But His light can shine through the darkest cloud. He has defeated death. You will one day experience a life that lasts always, one where death does not loom and is not feared. He made possible this bright beacon of a heavenly future. In fact, He is the glorious, worthy weight of heaven.

 

We cast all of our expectations onto heaven when this life is loss, and we can cast more there too. Through faithfulness testify of true hope in Christ during sorrow—this is heavenly purpose—it is as if we somehow heap more worthy weight onto our future glory. From this life, we will take with us into the next all that has been for Him. And it all matters.  That is why Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” In the apostle Paul’s ministry, while using the gifts that God gave him, Paul’s words were of lasting and eternal impact in the lives of other people, saving them from sin and damnation. This is what Paul will “glory in” in the presence of the Lord.  Meaning, it is what he will find from this earth worthy of the weight of heaven. What has mattered, eternally-speaking, in others’ lives for Jesus Christ is something he will find profoundly relevant from his experience on earth while in the presence of the Lord forever.

 

Thrust all of your hopes—needy hopes and gloriously purposeful hopes—onto heaven. Believe that this, the earthly loss of your child, has not been your defining moment. You have been defined by Him, in love, who has given you an eternal glory that weighs infinitely more than this indescribably heavy loss. When you lean with all of yourself there, you will find the incredible meaning and purpose that runs through the Word of God. Your arms that ache for your child, even while they ache with emptiness, are the very arms you can use to point others to Him and His Word, suffering well—suffering with purpose.

 

So, does this heavenly perspective not change the way we grieve?  When we grieve with hope, it means that we grieve with purpose. The shining threads of glory that He weaves into our lives securely are what we now can weave into the lives of others.

 

Can this purpose only be shared by those who write a book or start a memorial fund or do something that seems big? No, this purpose is not found in a particular position, ministry, or work, as if those are the object of the goal. Instead, your highest, most beautiful purpose to seek this minute is your own personal faithfulness to the Lord of heaven and earth. That is what throws you with joy into the One who has given you an incredible future and a worthy purpose on earth, without whom you would have no hope, either for this life or the one to come. Then out of your personal faithfulness to Him, see what He will bring.

 

This hope and purpose are your joy. Greatly rejoicing in what is ahead means that there is to this pain and longing a very sure ending with a very sure purpose. Though we do not yet know what it is to experience the glorious weight of heaven, we do know that it is real. From what we have considered in Scripture, we know that what we experience now is “light,” “momentary,” and for a “little while.”

 

Out of this experience of loss, you hold this glowing and solid thread of purpose that is replete with eternal glory. It can be in your hands, wrapped securely around your heart, and informing of your perspectives and all of your purposes this day. You can hope: you will have Him in that future day as you will have your child. And, know this, you have Him right now too as you waiting. He is your Light. He is not only shining there as your glorious future, but shining here. As surely as He is the beautiful light of heaven, He is also the light of this world. As surely as the light of His heaven pierces through your darkest cloud of grief, so surely, His light will shine on your path to show you the way through this grief. Only hold onto the Christian purpose found in having a heavenly perspective. Seeking faithfulness to God and His Word can never lead you the wrong way; you will only be surrendering your story and your child’s story to better hands than yours.

 

Inevitably, along this way, you will be led to praise. Doctrine as we have been exploring through this Feed Your Soul series, turns to doxology, or praise. Praise Him from whom all of our life, light, hope, blessings, and future flow!  Amen.

 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

-Thomas Ken, 1637-1711

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The “Feed Your Soul” blog series takes the bereaved mother through Scriptural doctrines, which are beautiful truths preserved through the ages by God’s sovereignty to be food for her soul as she grieves.

Read the past posts in this series:

Feed Your Soul: God are You Silent? {Bible}

Feed Your Soul: Where Can I Find Rest? {The Godhead & The Father}

Feed Your Soul: Eternity at Stake {Man & Hell}

Feed Your Soul: Between Now and Eternity {The Holy Spirit & Assurance}

Feed Your Soul: From Shadows to Singing {Church Ordinances}

Feed Your Soul: Mothers Suffering Well {Sanctification, The Responsibility of the Believer, & Suffering}

Feed Your Soul: Hallowed Days {Future Events, Afterlife}

Feed Your Soul: Not Angels, Children of God {Angels}

Feed Your Soul: The Glory to Come, Part 1 {Grief & Hope}

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