On Earth As It Is In Heaven

July 5

Read: Hebrews 11:3

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Heb. 11:3)

Whatever we see or experience in this world has its roots or source in the “unseen”. Quite literally, everything we “see” is made out of something invisible. The “word of God” is the source of everything in this universe. To put it another way, the spiritual precedes and serves as the building blocks for the physical / the “seen” realm.

We are so familiar with the material, that sometimes we forget this. We lose sight of the invisible origin of all that is around us. There is a spiritual underpinning to everything. It requires faith for us to understand this truth about the universe. This truth adds a layer to the words of Jesus during his ministry when he prays: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:9,10 etc.) Jesus speaks directly to the interwoven nature of the spiritual and the physical … “on earth as it is in heaven”. Jesus - who IS the “word of God"… the very maker of the universe - teaches us to lean into this truth. (see also Matt 16:18,19) Jesus does not rely upon what is seen to create… he never has. Jesus is the source of all things… he builds “from nothing”. In other words, Jesus is the one who makes something from nothing!

As we approach this world around us and the people in it, we must not lose sight of this truth. We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes to the spiritual foundations of what is before us. What we see in this world is a “dim reflection” of what is happening in the heavenly realms. (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12) Remember, “on earth as it is in heaven.” The words and actions of those around us have a spiritual foundation that they are built upon… whether they recognize it or not. We may try to explain it away by linking it to what we can see and experience, but as Christians we know better. Even today, scientist are searching for the “invisible” source of life and power in this universe* Humanity is waking up again to this ancient truth found in Hebrews. But we know that Jesus is the invisible / spiritual / unseen source of life and ALL things. Life and this universe is a gift from God.

There is a shadow side to this reality though. It also means that the unseen spiritual battle that rages all around us has trickle down effects in the “seen realm” as well. Through out the text we hear of stories where what is happening here mirrors what is happening in the heavenly realms. (ie. Dan. 10) There is a spiritual component to the words and actions of everyone around us. Do you see it? May the Lord guard our hearts and minds against the many ways those spiritual battles manifest in our everyday world. What are the spiritual truths behind how WE are acting today? We serve Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords - the source of all that is in this universe. If he can make something out of nothing, surely he can make something out of our lives as we serve HIM. May our words and deeds reflect Christ in this world… the true source of all that is. May we trust that the spiritual realm is as “real” as the physical realm… this is the “conviction of things unseen”… this is FAITH. (Heb. 11:1) Love you guys. - JDP

* Do some reading about CERN if you are interested in this.