June 5 – Daily Devotional

31 May June 5 – Daily Devotional

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

HEAVEN IS MY HOME

Hebrews 9:24-28 “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.  Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not His own. Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”

There are no second chances when it comes to your mortality.  That is what is meant by the holy writer when he writes here in today’s devotional verse, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. . .”  In spite of these words in Hebrews 9, there are any number of beliefs regarding what happens after one dies.  33% of Americans believe in reincarnation, which is the belief that after death there is the rebirth of the soul in a new body.  Another group of Americans believe that after death one’s spirit continues on but without a body.  Still another group believe that after death you go to an intermediate location where you and/or others must remove the remaining imperfections before you can go into heaven.  There are also close to 20% who believe when your earthly life ends there is nothing that follows.

Jesus said to the dying thief on the cross who confessed faith in Him, “today you shall be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Ecclesiastes 12:7’s answer to the question what happens when a person dies, “and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”  And, today’s devotional verse says, “. . . people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. . .” In Matthew 25 Jesus says on that day, judgment day, He will personally separate believers in Him from non-believers.  Those who believe in Him will live with Him for all eternity.  To those who do not believe in Him on the last day He will say, “depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)

From the Scriptures it is quite apparent there is a life after this life.  The last verse of today’s devotional verse says, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”  To those waiting for Jesus He will come to take them to be with Him forever. (John 14:6)

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, I am waiting for You to come and take me to be with You.  Send Your Holy Spirit to keep me in the true faith in You until that day.  I Your holy name.  Amen.

I’m but a stranger here, Heav’n is my home; Earth is a desert drear,

Heav’n is my home.  Danger and sorrow stand Round me on ev’ry hand;

Heav’n is my fatherland, Heav’n is my home.

What though the tempest rage, Heav’n is my home; Short is my pilgrimage,

Heav’n is my home; And time’s wild wintry blast Soon shall be overpast;

I shall reach home at last, Heav’n is my home.

Therefore I murmur not, Heav’n is my home; Whate’er my earthly lot,

Heav’n is my home;  And I shall surely stand There at my Lord’s right hand;

Heav’n is my fatherland, Heav’n is my home.

(LSB 748)