Never and forever. These two words make Christianity very interesting, in fact, amazing. Christ promises to forever love those who believe in him, not just here on earth but in heaven as well. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” the apostle John tells us in his book, 1 John 4:16. Who can fathom being continually, genuinely loved forever? We’ve never experienced that on earth. And we’ve not yet experienced heaven.

If you are not familiar with Christianity, Christ often portrays Himself in the Bible as the sacrificial lamb who conquers death and sin by dying for us and rising from the dead. In the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, Christ tells us:

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. … ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 7:17, 21:4

Think on that for a good while: “… for the old order of things has passed away.” Heaven is not at all like earth. There’s no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. None. Ever. Never.

Don’t you think that’s worth investigating for yourself?

One Saturday when I was about 12 years old my dad wanted to take me to a Detroit Tiger’s baseball game. He must have asked me kindly about ten times. For some reason I can’t remember, I took an attitude and stubbornly refused to go. He did not berate me at all for my stubbornness. Eventually he went to the game without me.

As I look back on my refusal now nearly sixty years later and Dad having passed away twenty-nine years ago, I think of the wonderful time I could have had with Dad at the game. I would remember eating a hot dog, tracking the score in the program book, watching my favorite players on the field, sitting next to dad. Fortunately, others times we did go to a game together. They were such good times.

Don’t lose the opportunity to enjoy eternal joy with God. He wants us to realize that although He is the only and all-powerful God, He loves thinking of us as His children and we thinking of Him as our Father.

What have you got to lose? If you think your future is simply annihilation and return to cosmic dust, an eternal life or joy should sound so much more appealing. We don’t simply become cosmic dust. Test God. Take Him up on His offer as He prompted Jeremiah to do. “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. Search with all your heart.