Heaven Upon the Earth: Walking With God Now (Deuteronomy 11:21)

Moses is standing at the edge of a land he will never enter. The people in front of him are about to cross over without him, and he has one more chance to tell them what matters.

So he tells them to take God’s words and put them everywhere. Put them in the heart, on the hand, between the eyes, on the doorposts, and on the gate. Talk about them at the supper table and on the road. Then he tells them why.

“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21)

As the days of heaven upon the earth.

I have been reading through Deuteronomy in my devotions, and I love this book. There is so much in it. But I could not get past that phrase. God was promising Israel that if they would keep His Word, their days in the land would be multiplied for as long as heaven stands over the earth.

As I read it, though, the Lord pressed another thought on my heart. A lot of us live as if this life is simply what it is, something to get through. We assume the real, close, heavenly relationship with God is waiting for us on the other side.

I don’t believe God intended it that way. I believe He wants you to walk with Him here as though you were already with Him there.

That does not mean your problems go away. But your fellowship with Him can be so sweet, so close, and so personal that you do not have to wait for heaven to have it.

How badly do you want to know Him?

Paul knew what it was to want that. Listen to him:

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:8-10)

That I may know him. You can almost hear the emotion behind those words. Paul already knew the Lord, and he could never be satisfied. He wanted more.

Then he says the power of his resurrection, and every one of us wants that. You want the power of God in your life, and it is a wonderful thing when you see it.

But Paul does not stop there. He also says the fellowship of his sufferings. That is the reality. You cannot have the power of God in your life unless you are willing to go through the things that draw you closer to Him. God may lead you through trials and testings. They are not meant to push you away from Him or discourage you. They are meant to knit you closer to Him.

So the question comes down to you and me. How badly do you want it? How much do you want a glimpse of heaven in this life, on this earth, today? What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to sacrifice? How far are you willing to go?

If there is a limit on how far you will go to draw closer to God, there will be a limit on how much you see God working in your life.

God doesn’t set the limits. We are the ones who place them. The problem is not what God can’t do. It is what we don’t think He will do.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8)

So how much do you trust Him? And how much do you really want Him? I want you to see three things that will bring that glimpse of heaven into your life: seeing Him, hearing Him, and cleaving to Him.

1. See Him for who He is

It starts with looking for the invisible. You and I get caught looking at what we can see, feel, and touch. It is hard to look at what cannot be seen.

The same Moses who preached Deuteronomy is described this way in the New Testament:

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)

Moses endured because he saw Him who is invisible. If you can get to the point where you take your eyes off what you can see, the troubles weighing you down and the things that look impossible, and fix them on Him, then God can begin to reveal more of Himself to you.

Isaiah got that kind of look.

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

I saw. Having a glimpse of heaven upon the earth means getting a glimpse of God in His glory. When you see Him for who He is, you realize who you are not. The higher you see Him lifted up, the more your answer will sound like Isaiah’s: Woe is me, for I am undone.

I can assure you that every person who ever gets a true look at God will come to that point. Some will come to it in this life. Others will harden their hearts and come to it at the end, because the Word says it will happen:

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

It is far better to say “woe is me” now and humble yourself before Him than to rebel and leave this world without the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where do you go to see His glory?

When I read Isaiah 6, I asked myself where you and I can go to see the glory of God lifted up. The Bible answers that very specifically:

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Unto him be glory in the church. We don’t go out into the world to find God. We come to where He is, into His house.

Some people say, “I can have church out in the wilderness. I can do it wherever I want.” No. God tells you where His glory is, and it is in His church. If you are serious about wanting a glimpse of heaven, you will be where God says His glory is.

Throughout all ages, world without end. His glory never changes. If your world comes crashing down around you, you can still come into His house and see His glory and worship Him.

So here is my question for you. When you come to church, do you come looking for the glory of God? Or do you come to fill a square, check off a box, and tell yourself you’ve done your good deed for the week?

Suppose every one of us came looking for His glory, the man in the pulpit and every person in the pew. God would fill that place with His presence.

The beauty that never fades

Seeing Him also means seeing His beauty. Before you are saved, coming face to face with a holy God is a terrible and frightening thing. But once you know Him as your Lord and Savior, it is a beautiful thing to behold His holiness.

My wife and I went camping a week and a half ago. We drove up north to see the fall colors. I love to go hiking through the trees, and the beauty of nature just takes my breath away.

But when I compare that to my God, it pales. As much as I love the woods, I love being in His Word and in His house even more. His beauty never fades or passes away, and every glimpse of it now is a foretaste of what we will see before His throne forever.

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” (Psalms 96:1-6)

Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. What could be more beautiful than the honor and majesty of the Lord? There are pretty things in this world, but you will not find true beauty there. True beauty is found only in Christ, in who He is.

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” (Psalms 96:8-9)

Even His righteousness is beautiful. It may correct you, but it draws you back to Him and keeps you where you need to be.

God is not being harsh when He asks so much of you, or when He calls you to His house week after week. It is a privilege to come into His courts, lift your voice, and magnify Him together with His people. That is the beauty of holiness. Do you appreciate the beauty that is right in front of you?

2. Hear His voice

There are many voices in this world. If you are not careful, you will end up listening to the wrong one.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:1-5)

What voice are you listening to?

He calleth his own sheep by name. It is precious to me that my Lord knows my name and speaks to me personally. He will speak to you personally too. He deals with hearts one at a time.

I heard some advice once that has stuck with me ever since: Become used to hearing God’s voice. That does not mean so used to it that you stop paying attention. It means familiar enough that when He speaks, you know it is Him, and you listen. In the middle of a trial, that familiarity is worth everything.

Think about being lost and alone and afraid in the dark. Nothing is more reassuring than hearing a familiar voice, someone who knows your name, cares about you, and is speaking to you.

God loves you enough to speak to your heart. But are you listening? Or has the noise of the world drowned Him out?

When you need His voice more than His hand

Elijah came to a very low point after a tremendous victory. He was running from Jezebel, afraid for his life, and convinced he was the only one left standing for God. Alone on the mountain, here is what he got:

“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13)

What Elijah needed more than anything was a still small voice.

You and I want the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. We want God to come down and make the problem disappear. But sometimes the voice of God is worth more than anything His hand can do for you.

Just knowing that He is real, that He cares, that He is with you and knows what you are going through, can be enough. Sometimes that voice is the closest glimpse of heaven you will get on this earth.

He speaks first through preaching:

“But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” (Titus 1:3)

That is why you need to be in His house, to see Him and to hear from Him. But He also speaks in your time alone with Him. Do you have a daily quiet time, uninterrupted, where it is just Him and you? How familiar is His voice to you?

3. Cleave to Him

Go back to Deuteronomy 11. Just past our text, Moses says this:

“For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-23)

Notice the order. First comes if ye shall, and then then will the LORD. The closer you cleave to God, the more of Him you will see and the more of His power you will see in your life.

To cleave is to be glued to something and stuck fast. I think of it as being clingy. We have all known somebody who was a little too clingy, and it can wear you out.

God is never worn out by you clinging to Him. He is never annoyed by it. He wants it. You see it over and over in His Word, including the chapter just before our text:

“Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.” (Deuteronomy 10:20-21)

God wants you so attached to Him that you cannot function without Him. He wants you completely dependent on Him.

And look at the phrase He is thy praise. He should not be your praise only on Sunday. Your whole life should be about praising Him, because praise draws you near. The more you magnify Him and lift Him up in your heart, the clearer your glimpse of heaven on this earth becomes.

So is He your praise all the time, no matter what you are going through?

I know that is hard. There are seasons when you are struggling and you cannot understand why God is doing what He is doing, or why things are happening the way they are.

That is exactly when you cling tighter.

Heaven upon the earth starts at your door

Go back to Moses at the edge of the Jordan. He told Israel to write God’s words on the doorposts and the gates, to talk about them sitting down, walking, lying down, and rising up. He was describing a home where God was never left outside. That was the promise of Deuteronomy 11:21: days as the days of heaven upon the earth.

That is still on offer. You do not have to wait. You can see Him for who He is. You can learn His voice. You can cleave to Him so closely that when hard days come, you hold on tighter instead of letting go.

God has not set a limit on how near you can come to Him. If there is a limit, you set it.

So I will ask you the question I could not get away from myself.

How badly do you want Him?

What will you give up to have Him?

Will you start today?

Adapted from a message preached from Deuteronomy 11:18-21.