Groan and Long

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

GROAN AND LONG

2 Cor 5:1-5

5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

NIV

It may sound like earth and heaven as we think of this planet and the stars but this is not about them, but about our physical bodies and our heavenly ones. This is all about the body we now reside in and that it is perishable, mortal and will in fact be destroyed in death. This body cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. This body cannot enter the gates of the living God. We have to leave it behind if we want to be in the presence of God within the heavenly realm. What we learn here is that we should be groaning, longing for our heavenly body. We should not be content to be here in the naked state we are, without our heavenly clothing. We should not be so comfortable here in this form that we do not want to let go of it. Yet it would seem we fight with every ounce of energy to stay here as long as we possibly can. That does not look like we are groaning and longing to be in our heavenly clothing. If God made us for the very purpose of being clothed in immortality, to live for all eternity with him, walking side by side in paradise, fellowshipping with him, then why are we so do we try so hard to postpone it. Of course we should not hurry it up either by our own hands, but in the natural course of events of life, age takes its toll, our body is descend to give out. Sometimes we contact certain illnesses or disease’s that hurry that process alone. So we employee the great medical minds of this age to prolong the inevitable for as long as they can, hoping we will not have to give up this naked mortal body. Is it because we do not know exactly want death brings? Is it fear of the unknown which drives us to stay in this form? No matter how much we try death with come and then what? For some it is over, but for us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior it is just beginning. This mortal body will be swallowed up by life, not by death. We will be changed in an instant, this corruptible will be exchanged for incorruptible, this mortal will be immortal, this perishable with be clothed with imperishable and we will enter his gates with thanksgiving and praise. Glory to God in the highest because he has given us the Spirit as a deposit, as a guarantee, that all this is true, so we only need to sense him within to know without a doubt what is to come. Therefore let us groan and long for the day. 


ADDENDUM

As a second thought it might be possible that we cling to this life so dearly because we are not sure of what is to come, yet we have been told over and over throughout the scriptures exactly what is to come. Do we not believe it? Why are we so sad when one of our loved ones passes into the eternal glory of the Lord? We miss them of course, but is that not purely selfishness? Should we not rejoice that our dear one no longer has to groan and long for the day they will enter into his gates with thanksgiving and praise? Should we not rejoice for them, if we truly love them? Maybe that should put a whole new approach to praying for those who are very ill. What matters is if God still has something for us to do here on this earth for his kingdom, of course. When we are done with what he has for us to do, then we should go home.