By Niki Behrikis Shanahan
The Lord watches over the lives of the innocent. Their reward will last forever.
Psalm 37:18 (ICB)
When you hear about pets that are in need of a home they usually use the term that the pet is looking for their “forever home.” I’m sure you’re like me and when you see or hear that you are praying that they get into a very good home with loving and responsible people. We want the very best for all of God’s beautiful creatures.
When they say “forever home” what they actually mean is that they want to be established in a loving home for their whole life here on earth. We all want that for every animal companion. Therefore, that brought to my mind a different kind of “forever home” for us and for all of the animals. I started thinking of the “forever home” that the Bible talks about. If you look up the word forever in the dictionary it says “without ever ending, eternally, continually, always, lasting for an endless period of time.” Yes, that’s what I’m talking about! In 1 John 5:11 (ICB) it says, “This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
Praise the Lord that because of Jesus we have eternal life, and that includes all the animals. Yes, it includes the animals. Look at these verses:
“22 For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event. 23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as His children, including the new bodies He has promised us—bodies that will never be sick again and will never die.”
Romans 8:22-23 (TLB)
So when you must be separated from your beloved animal companion, please keep in mind that it is only a temporary separation. If they leave earth before us they will be waiting in Heaven for us. And if we leave before them, we’ll be waiting up there for them. It will be a glorious reunion that will last forever because we will all be in our “forever homes.” Remember that the Lord loves all of His creatures. He loves all of us, and He has big plans for our happy and eternal future.
Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6 (ICB)
Copyright 2019 Niki Behrikis Shanahan