it is true that life on this earth has both ups and downs. Just when you think all is well, hardship comes; when you feel joyful, sorrow soon follows; and so life in this world passes away. Everyone desires to rise high and live prosperously, yet even after reaching the highest place, all power and fame quickly fade like autumn leaves carried away by the wind.
Earthly glory is nothing more than a morning mist that vanishes, or a fleeting bubble on the water (Jas 4:14). Only in the kingdom of heaven does everything we gain remains ours forever. God said: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things,” and “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and learn from me, and you will find rest” (Col 3:2; Mt 11:28–29). What God grants us is eternal. The life He has given us is eternal, and His promise to make us a royal priesthood in His heavenly kingdom is eternal as well. In heaven, there is no suffering, only everlasting glory. That is the place of true happiness prepared for us. Since we have received a glory beyond anything in this world, how blessed we are. Let us encourage one another with hope and joy, saying, “Let us keep going, for we are on our way to heaven.”
As the Bible says, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field,” life blooms for a short while, only to wither and lose its beauty. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever (Isa 40:6–9; 1 Pe 1:23–25). In the kingdom of heaven, there is no aging. Youth, joy, and splendor last forever. For this reason, the prophets longed for and devoted themselves to that kingdom. Let us also put our trust in God and walk together toward heaven, where eternal life and everlasting beauty await us.
When Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings and asked God for wisdom to govern His people, God was pleased and also blessed him with great wealth. No one has ever enjoyed splendor like Solomon. He said that he withheld nothing his eyes desired and denied himself no pleasure (Ecc 2:9–10). Yet the same Solomon confessed, “Everything is meaningless” (Ecc 1:2–6, 14–17). In the end, he urged us to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecc 12:12–13). Truly, with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and the more one gains, the more grief there is. But when we keep God’s word, worldly desires fade away, and the hope of living happily in heaven fills our hearts with joy. In the kingdom of heaven, there is no pain, only overflowing gladness. There is no parting, but we will dwell together forever. Let us hold firmly to God’s promise and make sure we enter that kingdom without fail.
The ancestors of faith endured hardships and even faced martyrdom, yet they held firmly to their faith in order to receive the eternal city prepared in heaven (Heb 11:8–16). We too will inherit that heavenly city when we follow and obey the word of God. Since God came to this world to seek and save the lost, when we join Him in that work, we will receive abundant blessings (Lk 19:10; Jn 13:15). If we keep and live out God’s word, a glorious reward awaits us in heaven (Lk 19:15–17; Rev 22:11–12)—a blessing no one can ever take away.
We must never treat lightly the truth we have received. God said: “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (Jn 14:21). For His beloved, God has prepared in heaven a glorious city, of which it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human mind has conceived” (1 Co 2:9). Because people treasure jewels, the Bible describes the city as being adorned with every kind of precious stone. Yet our Father is preparing it with a beauty far surpassing anything jewels could display (Rev 21:19–21; 3:10–12). Dear heavenly family members, this heavenly dwelling is now being made ready for those who keep God’s commands and bear abundant fruit.
How greatly blessed we will be if we lead those who live in fear in this troubled world to Zion so that they may find true comfort. Let us give heartfelt thanks to God, the Giver of eternal blessings, and let us bring many souls to His side, so that in the heavenly kingdom our names may shine like the stars, forever and ever.
