where we all must go

Today we read from 1 Kings 2:1-3:2 in the One Year Bible. David says that he's about to go where we all must go some day. And that reminded me of the image above. I love this picture, because the joy expressed by that little dog is exactly the joy I look forward to (God willing) experience one day.

If you think there won't be dogs in heaven, spend a little more time with God, and spend a little more time with dogs, and get back to me.

But David was probably not super excited about going where we all must go one day. Even though the Bible calls him a "man after God's own heart," he knew that he had sinned. And he knew that, as a wealthy king, he had a ton of responsibility to account for before God. And in his day, they didn't know too much about what came next. Sheol. The land of the dead. Some kind of judgment. But they didn't have the benefit of the revelation that we've gotten from the New Testament (and even much of the Old Testament), as well as the teachings of the church, to alleviate that greatest of all fears: death AND the unknown.

Fortunately, you don't have to face that journey with such fear. You DO know what to expect. You know that if you've confessed your sins and asked His forgiveness, you can look forward to meeting His love in heaven.

And your little dog, too.

God, thanks for giving us so much to look forward to. And helping alleviating our fear.