Worship the Lord of Heaven
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
As I entered the room, time seemed to relax. The sights and sounds coming from that magical place nearly overwhelmed me, and I suddenly became aware that my jaw was hanging down loosely. I didn't care, for before me was heaven. No, not the real thing, but for a guitar player, nothing this side of a flat-line can come close. My dad and I had just entered the Healdsburg Guitar Festival's main exhibition hall, and the term "kid in a candy store" cannot even begin to describe the experience.
This festival is a gathering of the custom guitar elite; existing on a plane (and price!) that I have never known. Exotic woods from all over the world littered the entire room, and every glance treated the eye to the most incredible acoustic guitars the world has ever seen.
Most amazing, however, was that participants were actually allowed to play these exquisite instruments (I call them instruments, though most were so gorgeous that they are better described as "art.") And so we went about the serious business of playing everything we could get our hands on. After a while, I realized that, in addition to my fingers, my cheeks were literally sore from smiling.
The reason for our visit to Healdsburg was equally special. The Acoustic Guitar Forum, with which my dad volunteers much time as a moderator, awarded him an "Outstanding Service Award." The prize? A custom-made acoustic guitar of his choice. We were there for him to receive this inspiring instrument.
As I mentioned, up until this amazing experience I did not know that these guitars existed. For me, the ultimate example of an acoustic guitar might be a nice Martin or Taylor. And while many of those are fantastic instruments, I could never have imagined the absolutely stunning sound, playability, and aesthetic perfection that these custom guitars present. In the same way, Heaven (the real one…) is simply unimaginable. The Apostle John paints a fascinating picture in Revelation 4, but I am certain that his words are totally inadequate to even remotely describe the splendor that he witnessed. After all, he was using earthly, human language to describe an other-worldly, supernatural place. Like my description of the Healdsburg festival, a few words can barely begin to accurately describe it.
A few years ago, the band "Mercy Me" wrote what is now a well-known song entitled "I Can Only Imagine" (referring to Heaven - the real thing...). I love the song and have sung it many times. Yet recently I've come to the conclusion that the lyrics are incorrect. In truth, there is no possible way for us to truly imagine what Heaven will be like, because it exists on a level beyond our comprehension. While it might not have the same ring to it, perhaps the more correct title would be, "I Can't Even Imagine."
The main reason why Heaven is simply indescribable is because its chief Occupant is far more holy, more awesome, more powerful, and more magnificent than what we are capable of understanding. God is both perfect and infinite, and the greatest gift that He gives His children is not a sea of glass or an emerald rainbow (see Revelation chapter 4), but the gift of Himself. Above the spectacular views, beyond the reunification with loved ones, and even past encounters with angels, the single-most awesome part of Heaven will be that we are in the presence of the Lord God Almighty!
So infinitely precious is His presence that Jesus describes Heaven like “a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44) Even if we can’t fully imagine it, what we do know of Heaven should be enough to make us realize that getting there is worth absolutely everything.
The best part, however, is that getting there is free. Like my father’s award guitar, the way to Heaven is a totally free gift given by God. But, also like his guitar, we must be willing to accept it. Jesus, who is fully God, sacrificed Himself for us so that we might have a way to spend eternity with Him. Our job is to accept and believe.
But, that’s not the end of the story… I’ve recently found myself telling everyone around me about the joys of attending a fantastic guitar festival. I can’t help it – it’s just a natural response to a great joy. In the same way, those of us who are certain of our future in Heaven should always be willing to share our hope and our joy with those around us. May God’s children always do everything possible to let others know that He is worth absolutely everything!
Soli Deo Gloria
Tim Cotten