No Night There

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/22hbew

We live in a great country with a diversity of climates and scenes. Many people have traveled to the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore and other places of interest. They have witnessed majestic scenes of beauty, both natural beauty and man made beauty. At some locations, like Niagara Falls, when night comes, huge colorful lights illuminate the attraction. But it isn’t as majestic as when it is shown in God’s light.

John Clements took a trip from New York to California in 1898. He was able to see many great places as he traveled by train. He traveled from the Atlantic Ocean, over the mountains, across the plains of the Midwest, over the Rocky Mountains and finally to the Pacific Ocean. His journey was something that most people today would never undertake.

At the end of his journey he sat gazing on the beautiful sunset overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The scene was so beautiful that he was afraid to turn away and said, “Darkness will soon follow and this great spectacle will disappear.”

That became the inspiration for the song, “No Night There.” Listen to the first verse and chorus of that song.

In the land of fadeless day,

Lies the city foursquare;

It shall never pass away,

And there is no night there.

God shall wipe away all tears;

There’s no death, no pain, nor fears;

And they count not time by years,

For there is no night there.

The beauty of a sunrise brings hope to all who witness it. It dawns a new day, a new time of opportunity, a new time of work. But that day soon fades and can never be retrieved or relived again.

Happy is the one who can admire a golden sunset while knowing that the day has been successful. Opportunities have been seized, friendships have been strengthened, spirits have been fed and the day has been productive.

In the song, Clements talks of the gates of pearl, the streets of gold, the gates that never close and the crystal river. There is no need of sunlight there because the Lamb is the light of that great place.

Listen to this description in Revelation 21:22-25.

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there)

In that great place there will be no tears, no death, no pain and no fears. Nightfall will never come. Darkness will stay away eternally. Heaven will be a great place to call home!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we seek to share the gospel with someone today before the sun sets on this day. May we thank God each day for the great gift of life and the privilege of living.

Our thought for the day: “We must live for Christ here if we would live with Him hereafter.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Beyond The Sunset

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/28rv82

Virgil and Blanche Brock were sitting outside enjoying a beautiful sunset one evening in 1936. Two of their friends were with them at that time as they watched the waters of Lake Winona, Indiana, seem to be set ablaze by the setting sun. As all four of them sat looking in the direction of the sunset, one of the friends remarked that it was the most beautiful sunset he’d ever seen. His conclusion came not by his own vision, however, since he was blind. His statement came due to the remarks the others were making about the beautiful sight.

As the evening wore on, Blanche and Virgil began to compose the words and music to the song, “Beyond The Sunset.” By the time dinner was over all four verses of the song were completed.

Here is the first verse of this song.

Beyond the sunset O blissful morning,

When with our Savior heav’n is begun,

Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious dawning,

Beyond the sunset, When day is done.

At times you may hear someone refer to an older person as being in the twilight of their life. However morbid some may think it to be, the metaphor of the life being one continuous day certainly has its good points. We all will face our final hours one day. Some in old age. Others, as it may appear, before their time. But we will all face an end to this life.

Paul writes the following in Romans 13:11-12. “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Notice some of the points made by this song. The day will be ended and then heaven will begin. What a great thought to have! To the Christian, we do not fear death for we know that it will bring on the dawn of a new life—one that is eternal.

No clouds will be gathered and no storms will be threatening us beyond the sunset. Many people mistakenly assume that to be in Christ is to be free from any problems or struggles in this world. But the Bible is very clear that persecutions, struggles hardships and cruelties will be faced by God’s people in this life. The endurance of such provides that our reward in heaven will be even more precious to us.

Also included in the song is the notion that we are guided to God in heaven. Through God’s word we each may come to know the will of God for mankind and how we can live so as to be found righteous in His sight. Like David said in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We must look to God’s word on a frequent basis if we hope to be guided to Him for eternity.

There will also be a glad reunion with loved ones beyond the sunset of this life. Not only will we be gathered with them, but we will not be separated from them again.

I have many loved ones that have already passed from this life to the next. And I’m sure that you do as well. They can’t come back to us on earth, but we can and will pass on to them in the next life. Isn’t it a comforting thought to think and to sing about that glad reunion with our loved ones beyond the sunset?

Yes, friends, I know this life can be full of many hardships, trials, disappointments, toil and weariness. But God had promised us a better place, a place where all of these things have been taken away and where our eternity will be spent with the glory of God.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take the time to contemplate where we will be when the sun sets that final time. May we make our preparations now for the journey that we must all take one day to eternity.

Our thought for the day: “The man who expects to go to heaven must take the time to study the route that will get him there.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

An Empty Mansion

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2bbqvt

I remember moving once when I was in my teens. My father was a preacher and we were moving about thirty miles away. On the day of the move we were greeted with about a dozen men and their trucks from the new congregation. In little time our possessions were all loaded up and then we caravanned to what would become our new home. On the way there I remember thinking about how nice it would be to be in that new house. It was empty now, but soon would be full. As we approached that place we were greeted with the sight of many other members as they had gathered to help us unload and to properly greet us at our new home.

The thought of a new home with friends gathered to greet you there is a very pleasant thought indeed.

Beuna Ora Bryant Karnes was the ripe old age of 22 when she finally married in 1911. Considered to be an old maid, some had thought that she would never marry, but she did. Her life was one of hardship and disappointment.

Her husband owned a successful lumber yard, but that was lost when a fire destroyed it. Like so many others at the time, they did not have insurance to cover the loss.

When the great depression hit they had money in three different local banks. But all three banks closed before they could withdraw anything. They had 12 children, most of whom were healthy, but some were not. One died as a child.

Eventually they found themselves willing to do any work just to survive. They would sharecrop, pick cotton do just about anything in order to provide for their family.

In 1937 Beuna’s father was struck and killed by a drunk driver. Then three months later, overcome with grief, her mother also died.

Out of these 26 years of hardship, Beuna Karnes produced the song, “An Empty Mansion.” Listen to the first verse and chorus of this song.

Here I labor and toil as I look for a home,

Just an humble abode among men,

While in heaven a mansion is waiting for me,

And a gentle voice pleading, “Come in.”

There’s a mansion now empty just waiting for me

At the end of life’s troublesome way,

Many friends and dear loved ones will welcome me there

Near the door of that mansion some day.

Jesus spoke of a prepared place for us in John 14:1-3.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

The excitement of a new house on earth opens our minds to many possibilities. How will it be filled and decorated? What will our new neighbors be like? How many fond memories will we make in this new place?

And to the Christian the thought of the new heavenly abode opens up our minds to possibilities as well. Our troubles, struggles and problems of this life will be all behind us. Friends and loved ones will be there to welcome us as our Savior beckons us to take up residence there.

It is going to be a wonderful day for everyone. We will have the anticipation of that new home and the promise of an eternal life. Yes, friends, there’s a place prepared for you that is sitting empty today. Are you prepared to take up your residency?

On Our Daily Walk today, may we ask ourselves, “Am I prepared to be a resident of heaven?” If not, why not do so today?

Our thought for the day: “The trials of earth are nothing compared to the triumphs of heaven.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Sweet By And By

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/33tu94

I’m very allergic to poison ivy. If I’m just in the vicinity of it I’ll start to break out. And when that happens you’d better believe that I retrieve the proper medications to nip that problem in the bud. Most of us are familiar with the process of obtaining a prescription for an illness. For most problems we have we can also find a cure. Of course, some people will stubbornly hang on to their ailments and will refuse the cure. But then most sensible people I know wouldn’t delay that cure for long.

Sometimes the problems we face are not physical, but rather they are emotional, psychological or even spiritual. But the same process usually applies when looking for a cure. Diagnose the problem, prescribe a cure or treatment and then apply that treatment as directed.

In the dreary days of winter many people fight depression. The same can be said of those rainy days or days when a person is confined alone at home. Many situations can bring about depression, gloom, sadness or even hopelessness.

One person who seemed to be perpetually gloomy was Joseph Webster. He’s the kind of person that was always in need of a prescription for the blues. Fortunately, his friend, Sanford Bennett, had just the cure he needed.

Bennett owned a drug store in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Webster was a frequent visitor to the store and at times they collaborated on a few songs. Bennett wrote the words and Webster wrote the music.

On one particularly melancholy day, Webster was really down on everything. As he poured out his personal troubles, pains and heartaches, Bennett said, “It’s no matter. It will be all right by and by.” The words struck a chord and Bennett quickly wrote down the words that would become the song, “Sweet By And By.” Then as if a prescription for the blues, he handed over these words to his friend and asked him to write the music for that song.

And so he did. That turned out to be good medicine for Webster who completed the musical score to the song in about 30 minutes.

Listen to the first verse and chorus of this song.

There’s a land that is fairer than day,

And by faith we can see it afar,

For the Father waits over the way,

To prepare us a dwelling place there.

In the sweet, by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore,

In the sweet, by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

There are many things that cause us pain and difficulty in this life. These bring on depression, gloom and darkness. But beyond this life we can rest with the promise that a better life awaits us. In that sweet by and by we shall have none of these problems and we shall sing with gladness and praise for all of eternity.

Jesus tells of preparing such a place for us in John 14:1-3.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take time to thank God for His Son and for His great patience with us. May we learn to accept that we will not know all answers in this life, but in the sweet by and be we shall be comforted and enlightened.

Our thought for the day: “Jesus came to earth from heaven that we might go to heaven from earth.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

No Tears In Heaven

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/3c5eln

Tears are expressions of emotion. Sometimes we cry because of joy. But most often we cry because of pain, sadness or some other heartache. Perhaps you have seen a family member just moments after receiving the news of the death of a loved one. If so, then you’ve probably seen an outpouring of emotion through tears. And no doubt we have all seen a child with tears streaming down his cheeks as he has just injured himself. Can you imagine a place where no tears would be needed?

Robert Arnold was teaching the night sessions of a singing school in Texas in 1934 but he was able to attend the morning sessions of a gospel meeting nearby. One morning the preacher said in his sermon that there would be no tears in heaven. When Arnold got back to where he was staying he was able to write both the words and music to the song, “No Tears In Heaven” in about thirty minutes.

Listen to the first verse and chorus of that song.

No tears in heaven,

No sorrows given,

All will be glory in that land;

There’ll be no sadness,

All will be gladness,

When we shall join that happy band.

No tears in heaven fair,

No tears, no tears up there,

Sorrow and pain will all have flown,

No tears in heaven fair,

No tears, no tears up there,

No tears in haven will be known.

The reference to the lack of tears can be found in Revelation 7:16-17.

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

I’ve been around doctors, nurses and funeral home directors all of my life. I know that these professionals deal with pain and sorrow on a daily basis. After a while, I suppose it becomes easier for them to see the sorrow and the tears, but I would imagine that it still makes their jobs more difficult.

I’ve cried many times when saying goodbye to those who have died. It hurts to be separated from them and to never see them walk or hear them talk again. But the greatest sorrow I feel is when I know that they didn’t live as God wanted and that they missed out on their eternal reward.

Friends, I look forward to the day when the need for tears will all be taken away. I look forward to a place where there is no pain, no sorrow, no disappointment, no need whatsoever to shed a tear. I look forward to being in heaven.

I know that many others will be there, but I also know that many will not be there. But God promises that there will be no tears there.

On Our Daily Walk today, may never find a moment’s rest until we know that we are ready for our eternal rest and home in heaven. Friends, if you are not prepared right now to go to your eternal destination you need to take care of that without delay.

Our thought for the day: “When I can read my title clear, to mansions in the skies, I’ll bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes.” Isaac Watts, Hymn 65

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2wcu2x

I’ve never been there. I haven’t seen a picture of it. But I’m convinced that heaven is a very beautiful place. How do I know that? Because of what the Bible tells me.

Andy Pickens Bland wrote the music to the song, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.” During his life he published about 30 songs.

Bland was born in Dallas, TX, but moved to Hanceville, AL, where he spent most of his life. He worked a 100 acre farm and also did some work at a local sawmill. In his time at the local Baptist church, Bland helped with the choir.

One of the choir members was a Mrs. A. S. Bridgewater. She had composed a poem that became the words to the song about heaven.

The song became popular when Roy Acuff performed the song one night in 1937. Asher Sizemore of the Grand Ole Opry liked the song and eventually purchased the rights to the song. It remains very popular today.

Listen to the first verse and chorus of that song.

We read of a place that’s called heaven,

It’s made for the pure and the free;

These truths in God’s word He has given;

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be,

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be.

A partial description of heaven can be found in Revelation 21:16-27.

The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Surely heaven must be a very beautiful place!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we learn to dream of heaven and visualize ourselves walking there daily as we praise God and enjoy one another. May we never miss an opportunity to share the news of this great eternal prize with everyone around us.

Our thought for the day: “If you are on your way to heaven, you will be busy finding others to take along.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.