shadows

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Hebrews 9:11-28. Paul tells us that here, where the Tabernacle and everything are just shadows of the real things in heaven, we only needed the blood of animals for the remission of our sins. But that in heaven, where things are more real (completely real), Jesus offered a better sacrifice: Himself.

That's strange to think, isn't it? We tend to think of heaven as being all whispy, with angels and clouds and a vague sense of timelessness - it seems far less real than the grit and grime and sweat that we see in our daily lives. THIS seems real. We believe that heaven is real, too, but it seems less SOLID than the reality we see everyday.

In fact, the reverse is true. This world we live in is real. The pain and suffering we experience here is real, it's not an illusion or a dream or a computer simulation. But it's LESS real than the eternal heaven that we have to look forward to. THAT reality will make THIS reality seem like a bad dream. And the joy we experience there will make the pain we felt here seem like nothing.

God, thanks for giving us a home to look forward to that is even MORE real than the world we live in now.