Beyond the Starry Sky
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Hebrews 13:14
Paul looked forward to death with great anticipation. He said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Death for him was not an enemy to be feared, but a reality to be welcomed in God's time. For Paul, death was the joyous gateway to new life--the life of Heaven.
Without the resurrection of Christ, we could have no hope for the future. The Bible promises that someday we are going to stand face-to-face with the resurrected Christ. All our questions will be answered, and all our sorrows and fears will vanish. An old gospel hymn put it well:
Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face, what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ, who died for me?
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory
I shall see Him by and by!
--CARRIE E. BRECK
From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.