But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9
Fanny Crosby, who wrote so many of our hymns, was never too dismayed by the fact that she was blind. She declared that her blindness probably kept her closer to the Lord, and kept her from becoming occupied with meaningless things. She spent her life not knowing what grass or flowers or trees or anything of nature look like. She never knew the brightness of a friend’s smile or the twinkle of a sister’s eye. You would have difficulty describing a beautiful painting or work of art to her. She had no reference point on which to base an imagination. Yes, she was just like us trying to imagine all that God has in store for us beyond this life and experience.
We who have reasonably good eyesight appreciate being able to see and recognize loved ones, to feast our eyes on autumn’s splendid foliage, to read our Bible and other books, to follow a path or road to a destination based on familiar landmarks. Yes, we have eyesight for earth’s temporary things. But while we are here in the flesh, we lack the eyesight to perceive the spendours of Heaven and its occupants. We can tax our imaginations to their limit and totally fail to grasp the beauties of Heaven’s jasper wall and pearly gates, of the streets of gold and the prepared mansions, of the angels’ beauty and our Saviour’s smile. Our text tells us we can not grasp it.
Beauty appreciated here will be as nothing compared to glory displayed there. Heaven will be beautiful. But we will enter into so much more than its beauty. Unshackled by sinful flesh, we will be able to understand the depths of Scripture that elude our feeble minds here. Liberated from flesh’s limitations, we will be ushered into an appreciation for the excellencies of Christ. The wiping away of earth’s tears will unfold to us the vastness of the meaning of pleasures forever more.
All of the glories and joys of Heaven are for those who love the Lord. And we do so because He first loved us. -Jim MacIntosh