Heaven

“No one has gone up to heaven except one Fella. He is the One who has come down from heaven—calls Himself the Son of Man.”
—John 3:13 The Gospel of John Cowboy Style

Have you ever sat quiet for a spell and thought about heaven?

Truth is, just about everybody has. Folks who ride the trail with the Lord think about it, and even folks who don’t know Him sometimes wonder what lies beyond this life. When a man pauses long enough to look at the wide Texas sky or watch a sunset settle down over the prairie, his thoughts have a way of driftin’ toward eternity.

The Bible has plenty to say about heaven. For starters, it tells us plain and simple that heaven is a real place. It’s the place where God Himself dwells. It’s where the angels gather round His throne and serve Him day and night. And it’s the eternal home for every man, woman, boy, and girl who puts their trust in the Lord.

Heaven ain’t just wishful thinking. It’s home.

In fact, heaven was one of the last things Jesus talked about with His disciples before He was betrayed. That night in the upper room He gave them a promise meant to steady their troubled hearts:

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you.”
(John 14:2)

Jesus called heaven “My Father’s house.” Now that’s a mighty comfortin’ way to describe it. Not just some far-off mysterious land—but the Father’s house, where God’s children finally come home.

And Jesus wasn’t the only one who spoke about heaven. From Genesis clear through Revelation, prophets, psalmists, kings, and apostles all pointed toward that heavenly country. Some Bible scholars say the word heaven, or references to it, show up over five hundred times in the King James Bible.

Seems to me if the Good Book talks about heaven that much, it must be mighty important.

And if heaven is where I’ll spend eternity, then I reckon I’d like to learn everything I can about it.

I remember when my son was stationed over in Germany during his time in the Army. Because he was there, I got curious about the place. I wanted to know about the country, the people, and especially the Army base where he was serving. I read about it, studied maps, and tried to picture what life was like over there.

Well now, that’s about how I feel when it comes to heaven.

Since that’s where I’m headed someday, I want to know everything the Bible tells me about my eternal home.

I want to read again about those streets of gold, clear as glass (Revelation 21:21). I want to picture those great walls set with precious stones and gates made of pearl (Revelation 21:12–21). I want to learn more about that river of the water of life flowing bright as crystal (Revelation 22:1), and the Tree of Life bearing fruit every month for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

But most of all, I want to think about the greatest sight of all—the throne of God, and the Lamb seated upon it.

Because heaven isn’t just about golden streets and shining gates.

Heaven is about being with the Lord forever.

Old bishop and Bible teacher J. C. Ryle once said it well:

“Before we go to our eternal home we should try to become acquainted with it.”

That sounds like mighty good advice to me.

Trail Marker

Heaven isn’t a fairy tale or a far-off dream. According to the Bible, it’s a real place where God dwells and where every believer will someday call home. The more we read God’s Word, the more we learn about the place where we’ll spend eternity with Him.

Campfire Musing

If heaven truly is your eternal home, how often do you take time to think about it—and to thank God for the promise of it?

Prayer from the Trail

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the promise of heaven and the home You are preparing for Your children. When the trail of this life grows long and weary, remind us that something better lies ahead. Help us keep our eyes fixed on You and our hearts set on that heavenly country where we will one day see You face to face. Until that day, guide our steps and keep us faithful on the trail.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.