Heaven is Close by Lane Jordan Burday
And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7).
One of the most compelling parts of the Bible is when the Jewish population fled Egypt for the Promised Land. Hardship, hunger, thirst, and grumbling were part of the trip and then the final defeat happened when ten of the twelve spies didn’t believe they could, in fact, conquer the land.
So, when I read an article about the Promised Land, I took notice. The Promised Land is a shadow of Heaven. Just as the Jews went into a new place with a new covenant, when we accept Jesus, we too go into a new place with a new covenant. The kingdom of Heaven, Jesus in us, is now real.
When the Israelites had to live in the wilderness for forty years, it is a symbol of our life now. We are waiting for that day when we will go to our heavenly home, just as they crossed over and went into the Promised Land.
But there was one wilderness, the Negev, which was part of, and inside the Promised Land itself. So, if the Promised Land is a shadow of Heaven and the wilderness is a shadow of this life and they are together, it means that Heaven and this life are much closer together than you might think.
If you are a believer in Jesus, Heaven begins now! Even in the wilderness, with the dry times, the hard times, and the sorrows, you can find Heaven. Because whatever you are going through in this journey, God is going with you. He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in you and to guide you forever.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
If you are born again, God is with you and that makes it Heaven. Learn to see the good in all things. Live with your heart and thoughts on the eternal rather than the temporal because the Promised Land is both our life in the wilderness, as well as Heaven—right now.
“And they will call him Immanuel which means God with us.” Matthew 1:23
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Lane Jordan Burday is the newest member of our Pearls of Promise (POP) Team and is serving as a POP Talk Radio Co-Host, is coordinating a Pearls of Promise 52-Week Devotional, and is our POP Prayer Co-Leader. Lane Jordan Burday is also an award-winning best-selling author of the 12 Steps to Becoming a More Organized Woman series of books. She is an international speaker, life coach, seminar leader, Bible teacher for 25 years, and an artist. She has served as the Associate Producer for the television program In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley.
Her latest book, Evangeline, is a historical fiction based on the book of Esther. You can reach Lane at: www.LaneJordanMinistries.com or her blog at: www.PathwaysToOrganization.com , Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/164949369X Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58909052-evangeline