Our seal of the Holy Spirit not only secures us as God’s own possession, it is also a deposit or down payment for our future inheritance (Ephesians 1:11-14). Our inheritance is eternal life or heaven as described in Revelation 21:1-4 and other scriptures. Even though, we are heavenly bound and hope for our eternity with Jesus Christ, it is hard to stay eternally focused. We can become weighed down by current troubles. Conflicts with coworkers, overwhelming workload of patient care and administrative duties are combined with the daily grind of caring for families and managing a household. Instead of having a spring in our step from the promised joy of eternity, we collapse into bed at night from exhaustion. We can also become distracted by the Lord’s abundant provisions and not really look longingly for an eternity with Jesus.

Billy Graham in his book, Death and the Afterlife shares his personal thoughts on living today while in expectation of our future:  “I’m not afraid to die, for I know the joys of heaven are waiting. My greatest desire is to live today in anticipation of tomorrow and be ready to be welcomed into His home for all eternity. Will you be making the journey with me?” (p. 192)

May this heartfelt insight and rich wisdom guide our hearts and minds in fixing our hope on the Lord’s heavenly promise.