“Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

   the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” Isaiah 40:28

​El Olam is a name for God meaning Everlasting God.  El – might, strength, God, and Olam meaning everlasting, eternal.

​Everlasting; for ever, always, continuous existence, perpetual, indefinite, or unending future, eternity. The eternality of God wrecks my brain if I dwell on the thought too long. I believe it with my whole heart and have learned to accept Him at His word through faith. But if I’m honest, it overwhelms me. It’s easier for me to imagine God having no ending than never having a beginning. There is no ‘since God began.’ He has always existed, and He will never cease to exist. His nature is to sustain, but how could a whole universe be sustained by anything other than an all-powerful, all-knowing, and everlasting Creator God?

​When I think about heaven in the light of eternity, my heart almost stops at the thought of a life without end.

​We’ll never run out of things to do.

​We’ll never grow bored knowing there will never be another ending to dread.

​We’ll never run out of stories to share.

​We’ll never run out of people to hug.

​We’ll never run out of praise for our Holy God.

​No more tears. No more sorrow. No more goodbyes. No more longing.

​I can’t wait to see my family who have gone before me and kiss the babies I never had the chance to meet.

​“You will show me the way of life,

   granting me the joy of your presence

   and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16:11

​It excites and humbles me to know that God has chosen to redeem humans, invite us into His eternal presence, and adopt us as His children.

If you’re like me, you long to see His return. Last year, I was attending an awards luncheon for a realty firm I partner with when I suddenly heard alarms going off. I immediately looked up at the ceiling and toward the windows overlooking a golf course. I was certain I was hearing trumpets! I felt imminent embarrassment for my frantic looking around when I realized it was just someone’s phone going off. I laugh about it now, but it’s happened to me more than I can count in the last few years.

​I love that the Bible gives us a promise of blessing to anyone who longs for His return!

​“And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to His appearing.” II Timothy 4:8

​The crown is not the reward; Jesus is the ultimate prize, but He is coming back with rewards. In the very last chapter of the Bible, in Revelation 22, He declares it again. He’s coming back soon!

​“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:12-13

​I believe we’ll join the twelve elders and throw any rewards we receive at His feet in praise and honor, giving Him the glory for all things He has done.

One of the many blessings of the life of a believer is being able to enjoy His presence now, but what a day it will be when I finally see Him face to face.

Are you looking forward to meeting Jesus so you may enjoy His physical presence forever? If you find that you’re not longing for His return, seek Him.  Ask Him to renew the joy of your salvation and give you joy looking for that day.  

Ardently His,

Jessica

To download the Ardently His app, click here.