Hog Heaven
Hog Heaven
In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner hears a mysterious voice while standing in his cornfield saying, “If you build it, they will come.” Costner builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. Ghosts of baseball players from ages past appear from the crops to play ball. Among them is a legend named Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the elite hitters of the early 20th century. Major League Baseball banned Jackson and seven others from the game for their role in “fixing” the 1919 World Series. One of the brilliant lines in the movie is when Shoeless Joe stares in wonder at the baseball field and asks Kevin Costner, “Is this heaven?” Costner smiles and answers, “No… it’s Iowa!”
I’ve never been to Iowa, but Texas has its own version of heaven, and I visited it. A friend and I drove out to his ranch, armed with enough firepower to defend the Alamo. The target: Hogs. When we arrived at the ranch, we split up. When I emerged from the dirt road into a clearing, I spotted a big nasty hog. I’m not the world’s best shot, but you know what they say about even a blind squirrel sometimes finding a nut. A successful hunt makes a good day great. To top it off, there’s nothing better after a successful hunt than a pecan waffle at Waffle House.
We can enjoy the best of what earth offers in Iowa, Texas and many other places, but none of those places compare to heaven. We don’t know exactly what heaven will be like, but Psalm 16:11 says: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” No earthly pleasure can claim “fullness” of joy, or pleasures “forevermore.” Life ends with death. Along the way there is pleasure, but it’s mixed with disease, pain, loss and suffering. Only heaven is free of those things. Since we long for a world without them, we should be eager to know how to ensure our future where they don’t exist.
Romans 10:9 says, “If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and confess with your mouth that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” That simple confession of faith guarantees your future. When you believe Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead, God forgives your sin and seals your eternity in heaven. You won’t ever have to worry about what happens when you die. You’ll be in heaven, where pleasures last more than a morning hunt or a pecan waffle. They remain forever.
