In sailing as in life, the destination rarely lies in a straight line from the start. Experienced mariners establish waypoints to mark progress or milestones toward a destination. Waypoints are necessary to mark locations where the heading of the vessel must be adjusted to avoid obstacles, bad weather, find predictable winds, get rest for the crew, add provisions or any combination of multiple reasons.

As Christians, we can probably identify waypoints in our lives. One might be when you first understood the Gospel clearly. Another might be when you decided to follow Christ wherever that leads.  Others might be who you decided to marry, what career to pursue, where to live, etc.

Christians tend to view our final waypoint as heaven.  Heaven cannot be diminished as it is our blood-bought destination where we find ourselves immediately upon death. II Corinthians 5:8 says that to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”. There is no delay upon death. There is no interim state.  Only two.  And when we leave life on this earth, we are immediately present with the Lord who loved us and gave His life to save us.

The closest thing we have to a witness report on what heaven is like is the Apostle Paul who reports being taken up to some level of heaven but was without words to describe what it was like. In II Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul is likely speaking of himself when he says, “ ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. ³ And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter”.  Other Bible figures who have been in God’s presence are also without words to describe the experience. Isaiah for example refers to himself as “undone” upon experiencing the Lord and is driven immediately to heartfelt repentance.

Our popular culture leads us to view heaven as disembodied souls, floating around on clouds and playing the harp.  I don’t know where that came from, but I dare say it probably doesn’t appeal to most people. The Bible clearly teaches heaven is real but there is also a final destination. While our new life actually begins this side of heaven, Revelation 21:1-4 seems to describe a final destination.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new. Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

In this final book of the Bible, which bookends the creation story in Genesis, there seems to be a destination beyond heaven.  It is the new heaven and a new earth. Rebuilt by the original Architect. It is dwelling in the presence of God just as Adam and Eve began so many books and chapters ago. As JRR Tolkien’s character says in the Lord of the Rings “everything sad will become untrue”.

I have a friend who is fond of saying that for Christians the best days are always ahead. How often in our daily lives do we forget that?  How often do we get so absorbed in avoiding or just getting through the challenges that God allows into our lives and ignore the lesson?

So how should we live at our various waypoints as we anticipate the destination.  Scripture is loaded with suggestions. Just to mention a very few but certainly not all:

• Genesis 1:28 tell us that we are stewards of this world, and we need to care about all of it – the air, water, animals, plants, resources and especially humans who are all in the image of God.
• Micah 6:8 gives us a big part of the answer “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
• Jeremiah 29:5-8  tells the Jewish exiles living in Babylon what to do as they wait to go home to Jerusalem ⁵ Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 
• Deuteronomy 6:5 says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” to which Jesus added “and love your neighbor as yourself”
• In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us the “Golden Rule” and tells us to treat others the same way as we would like them to treat us.
• In the revelation the Lord gave to John, the curtain peels back to the throne room of God revealing continual worship and glory to our Creator. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev 4:11) Isaiah 43:7 tells us we were created and formed for the glory of God. Worship is what we were designed to do. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36) “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) Hebrews 12:28 says “… let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” And it is not just Sunday. We are to live lives of worship and pray without ceasing. It’s not just a question of outward worship, it’s a question of rule. Who is on the throne of our hearts and lives?
• And finally Jesus gives us our mission in Mt 28:19-20 ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

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