Have You Imagined Heaven?

Read Psalm 48

Psalm 48:1-2

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King."

Jerusalem has always been known as the great city on a hill, and in the time of this beautiful Psalm the Temple was situated at the highest point where the presence of the Lord would dwell. In Matthew 5:35 Jesus confirms that "the city of the great King" is Jerusalem and it is the home of the Lord.

Zion became a word used to describe the city on a hill during the time of King David, but now the word causes many to imagine heaven and the beauty of God's presence, promises, and protection. A place where there will be no more tears and no more suffering.

It is a place where all believers in Christ wish to be, which is in the physical presence of the Lord!

Take a moment to imagine heaven and consider the glory of the Lord shining throughout Zion and to the ends of the earth. I think our lives would have more joy if we considered the greatness of God and His power over the things of this world. Doing this would tune our hearts and minds to understanding that He is present with us in every moment of the day.

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray he included, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10) Notice how this prayer doesn't ask God to take His children away from the earth. It actually asks the Lord to bring His Kingdom to the earth! Jesus is not only your hope for the future, He is your joy in the now!

What do I mean by that? I mean you don't have to wait to experience Jesus and His power over earth. You can walk in His presence right now. Invite him to walk with you...every day!

The city of Zion was the focal point of Jewish worship in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament Hebrews 12:22 points to Zion as a type of heavenly Jerusalem where believers in Jesus from across the ages and from all generations will worship Him. It is essentially the "city of the Living God!"

I love the ending of this Psalm and I encourage you to read the final verses again. Let's take a trip in our minds and picture the majesty of Zion. As a worshipper you are invited to "walk about Zion" and take a look around. Count the towers, consider the beauty, and take in the greatness of your God. And when you have done that, don't keep it to yourself. Pass on all you have seen to the next generation.

Have you imagined heaven? When you have Jesus as your Savior you have something much better, His presence with you on earth!

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!"

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN.

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