From The Tent Door

From The Tent Door

Yvonne S. Waite

My Daily Blessing from My Daily Bible Reading

with meditations by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn

April 17

I Kings 8:25–I Kings 10:15

HEAVEN IS A PLACE

I Kings 8:30-b

"Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive."

Visualize with me King Solomon standing in front of the altar of the LORD! See his arms held high. Notice the palms of his hands upward and opened to the God of Heaven. What a prayer he prayed that day! It is one of the longest prayers recorded in the Bible. The Spirit of God moved Solomon’s tender heart to petition and praise! I wonder what it was like. Could everyone hear him? Or did only his body language convey his heart cry?

Yesterday we saw how Solomon spoke so reverently about his father. Today, we hear him speak to his Heavenly Father. It is a blessing to realize the reverence David’s son had at that time for the LORD of Heaven. That Heaven was the dwelling place of the LORD God. Solomon knew this. He said in our verse today, "HEAR THOU IN HEAVEN THY DWELLING PLACE."

In Chapter Eight, we learned that Solomon’s LORD, his God, would "do" and "judge" Israel from Heaven. He would "forgive the sins of Israel and bring them unto the land" if they stayed true in future years. Solomon realized the LORD knew the hearts of His children. Because of this, He would "give to every man according to each man’s ways." What a trembling thought! God knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves! Solomon’s prayer was that the LORD would hear from Heaven so all the people on earth would know His Name, and that God would maintain their cause.

When the average person thinks of Heaven, his mind goes "Up"! But I ask you how HIGH is "UP"? As you and I look up into the sky, we see th ATMOSPHERIC HEAVEN. We know that HEAVEN very well. It is where we see the sunrises and sunsets of our lives. It is where the birds fly and from where the rain falls.

Then high above--where the birds fly--is the SIDEREAL HEAVEN. That is where the stars and planets stay. That is the STARRY HEAVEN! Now with rockets and space ships, man has punctured the canopy. Sometimes on our televison sets, we see pictures from planets many light years away. They have always been there–but we never saw them before.

Yet there is another HEAVEN? It is the "HEAVEN" where Solomon was pointing us to in his prayer. It is where the LORD God dwells. It is what theologians refer to as THE HEAVEN. Yes, THAT IS WHERE GOD DWELLS! It is also where the soul that has trusted Jesus Christ as personal Saviour goes at death. This "Heaven" holds more mystery for us. For no one that we know of has ever been there and returned.

We read that the Apostle Paul in the Bible had been there. He saw glorious sights which he could not really explain. It made him not fear death. We have loved one there, yet it is a "place" we do not fully understand. It is a "place" Christians sing about and look forward to being in, but do everything to keep from going there when they are sick. They sing about HEAVEN. It brings much comfort to know about HEAVEN at funerals-–but we cry when our loved ones go there and leave us. Jesus knows our frailties of faith. He comforts us with the thought of HEAVEN and encourages us not to be troubled.

Isaiah, the prophet, gave us an insight into that HEAVEN when he said "I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Jesus spoke of Heaven. It is comforting to read in Matthew 5:34 that HEAVEN is GOD’S THRONE! In teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus instructed them to address His HEAVENLY FATHER by praying, "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN!"

It is good to remember that HEAVEN is "PLACE"! It is a "place" where God dwells. It is a "place" where prayer is heard. It is a "place" where Jesus sits next to His Father. It is a "place" where Jesus has a "PREPARED PLACE" for the redeemed of the LORD. And it is a "place" where we, who know Jesus Christ as Saviour, will dwell forever with Him. (ysw)

"FAR BETTER"

(Philippians 1:23)

A dear Christian friend died yesterday.

Suddenly God called his name and he left this world and his tired, weak frame,

and went instantly into the Glorious Presence.

His works have preceded him,

and his reward awaits him.

He is absent from us

but present with the Lord,

beholding His face.

Indeed this is gain, and far better for him.

"We are not far from "HOME." A moment will bring us there.

If this would be that moment, am I ready?"

GGS

And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)

Under God's Care,

Yvonne S. Waite