a sense of belonging
"Do no harm to the land or the sea or the trees until we imprint this seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." —Revelation 7:3
Will you be a saint with Jesus forever in heaven? Will you be reunited with your family and friends who are saints in heaven? Or will you be eternally separated from the Lord and His saints? If you died today, what would happen to you? Where would you go? If you stood before heaven's gate now and Jesus asked: "Why should I let you in heaven? Do you belong here?", what would your answer be?
We belong in heaven because we belong to Jesus. In baptism and by a life of faith, we have been imprinted with "the seal of the living God" (Rv 7:2). This is a seal of ownership. We are God's property. We belong to Him.
At first we may not like the idea of being God's property. But we don't have objections to being the property of a professional football team, a corporation, or the military. For example, a football player is sold for cash, or traded for a draft pick or other players. A corporate executive is moved four times in six years. A soldier is forced to risk his life in battle. We ought to be much more willing to have the privilege of belonging to the Lord.
On this great holy day, become a slave of Christ (Col 3:24). Offer your body to Him (Rm 12:1). May your life no longer belong to you but to Him (Gal 2:20).
Prayer: Jesus, I decide to belong to You. I'm Yours, all Yours.
Promise: "See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God!" —1 Jn 3:1
Praise: Alleluia! Saints of God, praise the Lord!
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape on Am I Going to Heaven? on audio AV 54-3 or video V-54.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, May 8, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 18, 2001