Bible Text: 2 Corinthians 5:8 | Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | Of all the ways the apostle Paul could have described what heaven will be like, he chose the phrase “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). This is what he said: “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

Even the word “home” brings a feeling of peace. Home is the place where you can let down and just be yourself. After all the struggles of the day, you can come home and be comfortable and relax. It’s so much more than the word “house,” which is simply a place to live. Home is where you spend time with those you love most: eating a bowl of ice cream together while you watch a movie, curling up in a big chair with your favorite book, holding hands with your family as you pray together, having conversation with a special neighbor over a cup of tea.

Paul could have described the grandeur of heaven—the thousands of angels, the gleaming golden streets or gates of pearl. He could have told how we will bow in worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And all that is true. Those things will be thrilling. Instead, he chose to describe heaven as “at home with the Lord.”

Heaven is the end of the battle, the ultimate peace. No more struggle with sin. No more sorrow or suffering. But more than the absence of all that is difficult, heaven is the presence of the Lord. Paul didn’t just say, “We’ll be at home.” He said, “at home with the Lord.” We’ll experience closeness with the Lord that goes beyond anything in this life. I think then we’ll understand the ultimate meaning of intimacy.

Let me add that if your home is not a “heaven on earth,” all the more you can look forward to your heavenly home. There you will experience all that “home” should be. Today let that thought bring hope to your heart.