When an unexpected belly laugh catches you by surprise, when you look up to see a singing bird in the middle of the winter, when that first tulip pushes its way through the snow and shows off its bold color, these are tastes of heaven; touches of things to come.
Author and pastor John Burke once said this on my show, “Earth is a compressed time capsule. Tastes of heaven and tastes of hell. But one day, the two shall part, and we who are in Christ will know no more pain, no more tears; only everlasting joy.”
How do we cultivate a heart of hopeful expectancy in a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams? We look for evidence of God’s goodness all around us. In fact, start writing down the things you see. In due time, something both natural and supernatural will take place within you. You’ll become a noticer. Someone who looks for and experiences the goodness of God wherever you go.
There’s a system in your brain that responds to your most consistent thoughts. Whatever thoughts you have on repeat, your brain scans your environment to find “evidence” to back up your beliefs, even if those beliefs are wrong. For example, if you rehearse thoughts of insecurity or self-contempt, or fear, your brain will be on high alert to find evidence to confirm your rehearsed thoughts.
So, what if you retrained your brain to look for the coming Kingdom? What if you looked around each day with expectancy that something good is coming your way? Each day, God pours out fresh mercies. Every morning, the heavens declare the glory of God. Because Jesus is always with you, you need not be shaken (see Psalm 16:8).
Recently on Susie Larson Live, John Eldredge joined me to talk about his book, “All Things New.” He writes:
We have been looking for the Renewal all our lives. It has been calling to us through every precious memory and every moment of beauty and goodness. It is the promise whispered in every sunrise. Every flower. Every wonderful day of vacation; every pregnancy; the recovery of your health…The thing you are made for is the renewal of all things. God has given you a heart for His kingdom—not the wispy vagaries of cloudy heaven, but the sharp reality of the world made new.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Goodness is coming, friend. In fact, Goodness has come. Jesus is the hope of the world. And He is with you even now.