There is something missing.
Something that we feel in our spirits, something deep inside our soul. A place, a person. Our spirit longs for fellowship; yet we are never filled. We feel less empty when family is around, but the empty still haunts us. We miss our loved ones that have died. We miss things past. Our soul sometimes feels hollow. This world brings dissident chords: chords that are left unresolved, the whys , the pains, the conflicts, the continual stress that is life. Yet, in our spirit, we know it should be better. There has to be a place we can find rest. We see art and it can bring us to tears. We hear music and it can stir our souls. We see a great movie and we can lose ourselves, but these feelings do not last. They seem obscure and, then, they’re gone.
All this pain I wonder if I’ll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?
Michael Gungor, “Beautiful Things”
The kingdom of Judah had it all. King David had established Jerusalem as a viable kingdom, rich beyond imagination. His son Solomon followed him, and then the kingdom was enriched with his wisdom that was known throughout the world. Solomon was given the task to build and dedicate God’s temple. When Solomon prayed the prayer of dedication for the temple, fire came from heaven and consumed the sacrifice on the alter. This was a rich, Godly heritage that would be cherished forever. Then, as stories in history usually go, in the next several generations the kings and the people forgot God and His blessings. King Manasseh was so evil that he actually started a practice of sacrificing children to Molech, a Canaanite god of prosperity. Even though Manasseh later repented, this ritual would haunt the kingdom. Later, God declared His judgement by sending King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to come and take captive the Jewish people, pillaging the best of Jewish culture, economy, and strength, then totally destroying the temple and taking most of the people captive.
Psalms 137
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, there we wept, when we remembered Zion.
We hung our harps in the willows in the midst.
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a strange land?
Through all of the stories of history about man’s days on earth, there was always someone messing up and losing what was had. Adam in the Garden of Eden, Noah after the flood and Samson with Delilah. Even the Kings of Israel were no exception. This world is about missing pieces; pieces that can never be found. The songs of Zion were the overt reminder to the captive people of Israel of what had been lost.
Growing up our family had a puzzle board. We would get large 1000 piece puzzles and put them together on the board. We kept the board under the couch when we were not using it. It never failed, after days of working on a puzzle, that we would come up with at least a couple of pieces missing. Being the youngest in the family, somehow it was always my fault that the pieces were missing. We have all lost pieces, and the world is full of people looking for what’s missing. People look in every direction trying to find something to fill the void. We were created for a better world than which we live. We were created as spiritual beings clothed in Light to live in paradise. The longing of heaven is instilled in our souls.
Heaven is where we were formed and created; once complete, now incomplete.
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. It tells about the life of Job and all his losses. I believe that Job had more missing pieces than anyone that has ever lived. Being the oldest book in the Bible, Job would not have had access to any scripture, and his friends were of no help, yet Job kept his faith in the Creator. Where did his hope and faith come from? His only Bible was nature; the vast galaxies of stars in the night skies, the continued renewal of the seasons. He paid close attention to the designs of nature that pointed to the Designer . It was this reason that he could come to this conclusion when he said ” I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;”
All of nature gives us a glimpse of heaven, just as music, the arts and good movies give us a glimpse of what could be. We will never be complete in this world. But I believe in the world to come, we will be able to forgive and be forgiven. There will be no more sorrow and no more pain. We will be reunited with our loved ones. All the questions left unanswered will be answered.
Our Redeemer sends us His promises of a better world with every breeze that blows through the trees, playing the harps of lost people seeking a better place.