CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

3 Day-Devotional

One of the greatest lies ever told is that this life is all there is. Family, I have good news for you: heaven is real and we have been called to be its representatives. As Christians, we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. In this three-day devotional you will discover how to represent your heavenly home on earth as you look forward to returning to it in eternity.

DAY 1: THE JOURNEY HOME

A sometimes difficult truth to grasp in the faith is that earth is not our home. We don’t belong here. Though it can be easy to forget this truth in our day-to-day lives as we entertain our jobs, families, and even personal hobbies, we mustn't forget. Because keeping this truth at the forefront of our minds is very essential in our walk with Christ.

We are on a road trip, a journey, and a spiritual expedition. We are headed back home, back to the Kingdom of Heaven. I often like to call it the “spiritual Las Vegas Strip.” If you’re familiar with the Las Vegas strip, you understand that it’s a road with casinos, hotels, and attractions left and right. It’s an eye-catching zone; it’s almost impossible for one not to look at what’s around them, and it can be even harder not to hop out of the car and engage in the fun. But the “fun” can often trap people as well as rob them. They walk into the casinos with thousands of dollars and walk back out empty.

Something similar occurs in our faith walk, or, if I may, in our faith trip. As God leads us through our journey back home, distractions are going to come. The majority are seen in today’s culture. Whether it be sexual immorality, revenge, or idolatry, it’s there. If we entertain these distractions, we’ll find ourselves trapped in strongholds, addictions, and sometimes the loss of our joy, peace, or even our faith. And the only way we can combat and deal with it is by keeping our eyes fixed on the King and His Kingship.

It may seem like an aberrant task, but God is asking you to disregard the spiritual vegas around you and focus on the kingdom ahead of you. He wants you to make a heaven impact in a fallen world and to make this journey back home, having positively affected others along the way. He never said it would be easy, but He did promise to be with you, to go before you, and to stick with you. Don’t get distracted, my friend. You have kingdom business to take care of.

Prayer of the Day: Jesus, thank you for your word and for your truth. I ask that you would help me to keep my eyes focused on you, even when I may not understand. Help me to be about you and the Father’s business, not my own. It is your will that ought to be done in the world and in my life. Redirect my thoughts when they drift away from you and help me to keep you front and center. In your name, I pray, amen.

Verses of Meditation: 1 John 17:16, Proverbs 4:25, Hebrews 12:2, Deuteronomy 31:8

DAY 2: WEAR THE NAME OF THE LORD

In 2020, one of the National Football League’s most highly esteemed players, Tom Brady, was traded from the Patriots, whom he had been with for 20 years, to the Buccaneers. This trade not only caused some raised eyebrows and frustration from Patriots fans, but many considered him to be a traitor, abandoning the team where he built his empire.

I can only imagine what it was like when Brady walked onto the field for his first game against the Patriots as a Buccaneer. One thing that I am positive occurred, though, is that some Patriots fans booed and some Buccaneer fans cheered.

In the spiritual realm, there are two teams: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. In scripture, we’re told that, by the action of placing our faith in Christ, we were removed from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom where the marvelous light of the Father radiates. Essentially, we signed a new contract to play for a new team, to wear a new jersey, and to play under the leadership, or Lordship, of a new coach.

But who said trading teams was easy? Especially trading teams spiritually. When we walk away from our lives and our old ways of living, there are going to be two types of crowds: those who boo and those who cheer. The Bible says in Luke 15:7 that heaven erupts in joy when an unrighteous person repents. But it also says in Matthew 10:22 that we will be hated for being associated with the name of Christ.

But don’t let the cries of this world be louder than the voice of your God. Don’t allow their criticism to sway you into returning to the place He delivered you from. What hurts the heart of our Lord most is when His people choose to trade jerseys and run back to the life He brought them out of. God wants to know that you’re okay with leaving behind the things of this world to unashamedly wear His name and play a part in the advancement of His kingdom. So in the words of the late Reverend Timothy Wright, “Who’s on the Lord’s side?”

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come humbly before you and I ask you for forgiveness. Lord forgive me for the times where I haven’t been completely committed to you and your kingdom. I ask that you’d help me move forward and not look back on past things. Help me to be unashamed of your name and your truth. In Jesus name, amen.

Verses of Meditation: Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9, Luke 15:7, Matthew 10:22, Romans 1:16

DAY 3: WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

One of the questions we must ask ourselves is, “Where is my treasure stored?” Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21 that “wherever we store our treasure, that’s where our heart will be.” In other words, whatever you give more attention to will reflect the meditations of your heart. Another thing we have to ask ourselves daily is, “What am I meditating on?” and “Am I living for heaven or earth?”

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be well known, to have a nice car, or to have a big house. But are those things placed above your relationship with God? Have they become your reason for living? God is not against you wanting to experience some of the things earth has to offer, but rather against you placing those things higher than Him in your life.

What God wants above all else is to be able to use you for the work He’s accomplishing in the earth. Everything else will follow, if it’s according to His will, of course. But know this: God does not want you to take the world into His kingdom. He wants you to take His kingdom into the world. Neither is God interested in you expanding your own kingdom. Instead, He wants you to help expand His.

Because our home is in heaven, that’s what we should be preparing for. Earth is just a hotel room. And I don’t know about you, but when I walk into a hotel, I don’t anticipate decorating the room. I only come packed with the few things I need to get me through my temporary stay. Sure, the hotel provides me with a TV, maybe a mini-fridge, and of course the shower, but I can’t take these things with me back home. Meaning, I cannot become too attached to these things.

Similarly, as God’s people, we have been given everything we need in order to manage our time wisely on this earth and carry out all the things that Father would have us to carry out. In His grace, the Lord has also blessed us with not just what we need, but even some of our wants. Still, we must be careful to remember that this world is not our final destination.

God has special things planned for us in eternity. With that thought in your mind, allow it to help you let go of what you may be attached to here, knowing that though “heaven and earth will pass away, His word will remain forever.” (Luke 21:33.)

Prayer of the Day: Heavenly Father, I come before you now, thanking you for the ability to trust you. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of the things here on earth and to hope for what I cannot see. But I thank you and I praise you for having me. Please help me to store up for the things in eternity—the things that won’t change—and to keep my eyes on you and your will at all times. In Jesus name, amen.

Verses of Meditation: Matthew 6:19-21, Colossians 3:2, Matthew 6:33, James 4:14, Matthew 24:35, 2 Peter 3:13

DID YOU ENJOY THIS DEVOTIONAL?

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