Ready:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God's dwelling 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 away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.
-Revelation 21:1-4
Set:
They sat there and wondered how they got there: one player, one coach. All the games played, all the games coached, all the teammates and coached athletes, all the labels that had been given to them by fans and media--those thoughts all ran through their minds as they prepared for their championship games. Peyton Manning endured this in January. Billy Donovan did earlier this month. And it's a situation I know I could only imagine.
In Revelation, John writes about Heaven and what it will be like. As one who walked with Christ and listened to all his stories, John had a very good grasp of what Heaven would be like one day. Jesus set the stage for his disciples, but until they arrived on the streets of gold, they could only imagine what it would truly be like to walk with their Master again.
The group MercyMe does such a wonderful job of portraying this emotion in their world-famous song, "I Can Only Imagine." It creates thoughts in each of our minds of what Heaven will be like.
Athletes and coaches wonder what it would be like to win it all and how it would feel to be at the top of their game. Yet, as great as that feeling would be, it still fails to compare with what Heaven will be like when God calls us home. I know I will never coach in the Final Four or win a Super Bowl, but I do know that my prize awaiting me in Heaven will outshine them all. Heaven. . . No more crying, no more dying, no more pain and suffering. Just a place of supreme grandeur. . . I can only imagine it for now.
Go:
1. Have you dreamed about coaching or playing in a championship game? How does it feel?
2. What do you imagine Heaven will be like one day?
3. Do you have the assurance that Heaven will be your eternal home? If not, go to morethanwinning.org.
Workout:
John 14:1-3
Philippians 3:12-15