Our Heavenly Bridge // Homecoming, Part 3 [Devo]

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Homecoming, Part 3
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At the Pittsburgh Zoo, there is an amazing exhibit built to look like a tree house. Kids have the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to observe animals in the wild from the tree tops, with elevated walking paths that include a wooden swinging bridge. This is probably my least favorite part of any trip to the zoo. While my boys delight in running back and forth across the hanging walkway, jumping up and down and making the boards bounce, I usually walk very slowly, trying to keep my balance, and for several minutes after leaving this section, I still find myself feeling unstable and dizzy.

Many of us live in a world of stable, reliable infrastructure. I find myself taking for granted that sidewalks will be smooth, roads drivable and bridges stable. As Pastor Josh shared on Sunday, “we drive across bridges all the time, showing our faith and trust that this bridge is strong enough to get us from this side to that side and will not collapse. And if we didn’t, we wouldn’t drive across that bridge.” This analogy was used to illustrate the faith required to make sure we end up in heaven. It is our belief in Jesus that He who came from heaven is the only One who can take us to heaven. He alone is the bridge from this life to the life to come. The bridge from death and separation from God to an eternal life in heaven with God.

As we begin to believe in Christ, we have the opportunity to build a relationship with Him. This is not a simple act of blind faith, but an ongoing, ever-growing bond that continues to shape our lives. True belief in Jesus is not a simple matter of agreeing that a man existed in ancient times, but faith in who He was and why He came, and trust that He is the only path to heaven.

As Jesus says to Martha in John 11:25-26:

To cross the bridge that Christ has created for us over the chasm of sin, we must ask Him to enter our hearts. In doing so, we have already begun our eternal life with Him. Our place in heaven is established. And in allowing Him to enter our lives, we have the opportunity to accept the changes He can make. I have found that, by seeking to know Him more, not only does my faith grow, but my desire to be more like Him grows as well.

If you do not have a relationship with Christ, I encourage you this week to seek out more information about His love. This could come in the form of studying the Word, researching other writings about who He was as a man and who He is as our savior, or searching for other believers to discuss their experiences with Him.

And if you have already acknowledged that the bridge has been built and that He has the ability to see us safely into heaven, I encourage you to continue to learn more, to allow Him to change your life daily by seeking to live as He did.

Author: Michelle Lemley, Nursery Coordinator