There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." I have always loved this C.S. Lewis quote but recently learned its story. He wrote these words to a woman facing health complications that she believed would result in death. To encourage her, he wrote in a letter, "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." Surprisingly, this woman survived her health complications, but Lewis passed away months after penning those words. Even today, these words bring tears to my eyes. As followers of Christ, we have the confident expectation that what we have to look forward to in Heaven is better than anything we could imagine.
The apostle Paul knew that nothing compares to Heaven's splendor, joy, and grandeur, and he wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 2. I believe his own words failed him as he wrote in this chapter because, ultimately, he quoted Scripture from Isaiah 64:4, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." Paul was teaching readers that what we have waiting for us in Heaven does not compare to anything we have seen or heard in the world. It is greater, grander, more beautiful, and more wonderful than anything imaginable. We have no idea what is waiting for us because we have nothing to compare it to. Yet, it is better than our wildest dreams.
My friend, Heaven is so grand that we have no vocabulary or experiences to even understand it. Our best moments and favorite days cannot compare to the greatness of Heaven. We have so much to look forward to. Indeed, "there are far, far better things ahead than any we [will] leave behind." May you and I look forward to the day our faith will become sight and we see Heaven with hopeful anticipation.
It can be easy to become so caught up in our daily routines and lives that we forget what we must look forward to. Take a notecard and write the C.S. Lewis quote we discussed at the beginning of this devotion. Place the notecard on your bathroom mirror and look at it every morning as you prepare for the day. Let this notecard remind you of your hope of Heaven and eternal life with Christ one day.
"This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the "twelve tribes"-Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!
Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession."
