Anticipation Is Half the Fun

Do you think anticipation is half the fun?

I do.

I love planning for a special trip or event. I enjoy dreaming of the possibilities, poring over brochures and catalogs, considering all the options, planning what and where I'm going to eat, and even saving money for a big splurge.

Today I was daydreaming about an extra-special trip I plan to take one day. I'd love to share the details with you, but you have to use your imagination.

Ready?

Think about the most beautiful place you've ever visited in your life. It might be a sun-kissed tropical isle or an exquisite seaside town. 

Perhaps you were awed by icy glaciers or water that was five shades of blue. I've heard there are palaces with so much gold that the walls and floor need extra support, and spire-topped cathedrals that are old enough to remember Martin Luther.

Picture that most beautiful place, but don't stop there.

Add to that memory the happiest day of your life. Maybe it was your wedding day, or the day your first child was born. It could be the day you accepted Christ as your Savior, or the day your husband came home from Iraq. Maybe it was simpler--an absolutely perfect spring day when the breeze was warm and all was quiet around you.

Picture that most beautiful place combined with the happiest day of your life, but don't stop there. Now paint into the picture the person who loves you more than anyone else in the world. You know, the one you call on day or night, who knows everything about you and loves you anyway, the one who's counseled you, bailed you out, laughed with you, and cried with you.

Picture that most beautiful place combined with the happiest day of your life, shared with the person who loves you most in the world, but don't stop there. Add the most peaceful atmosphere you can imagine--no tears, no fighting, no worry, no conflict--then combine it with raucous joy, and throw in some of your favorite praise music, just for fun.

Take that whole scene and multiply it by 10,000, and you've got a glimpse of the trip I'm going to take one day.

And anticipation is half the fun.

I've been reading up on it--glorious descriptions written by those who have seen it, and I'm making a list of questions I want to ask. I've been inviting my friends, family, and even strangers to come along, and I've invested my money where I know it will get the best return. I've booked my ticket, but haven't packed my bag yet; I've still got some work to do.

I may not take this trip for years, but oh, anticipation is half the fun. Just imagining, especially when life is hard, reminds me of what I have to look forward to and how it will all be worth it when I arrive.

 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

  

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.


 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new."

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.


 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.


The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.


I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.


The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.


 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of the great street of the city.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light."

 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

Would you like to go with me?

Anticipation's half the fun.

If you died today, would you go to Heaven? If you're not sure, click here to settle it once and for all. I'd love to see you there.

And if you do know the Lord as your Savior, I hope this tiny glimpse of Heaven will encourage you to "be not weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest if you don't faint" (Galatians 6:9). Press on!

(Scripture quotations are taken from Revelation 21 & 22.)

If you enjoyed this devotion, may I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 

 

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.