Psalm 68

"When He [God] ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to His people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among them."

- King David, Psalm 68:18

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."

- Plato

Has it ever crossed your mind that you might find yourself in Heaven standing next to someone that you could not stand here on Earth? (Smile) What?!... Not bad news Bob! He must've snuck into Heaven when St. Peter turned his back for a moment! Unbelievable! But, chances are, Bob's thinking the same thing about you! (Ha!)

The truth is, when you understand the limitless grace that Jesus dispensed from Calvary's cross, you know there's a really really good chance you're going to find yourself standing next to someone in Heaven that you could not stand here on Earth.

In Psalm 68, King David is drawing a sharp contrast between the children of God and the enemies of God. David is making it crystal clear that God will triumph over the wicked and will ultimately lead His children into everlasting victory in Heaven. But, apparently, it's sometimes difficult to know exactly who is the enemy of God and who is the child of God… or what happens when an enemy of God becomes a child of God. Like you. Like me. Which is precisely why you may be surprised to see who's standing next to you in Heaven.

You see, nestled in-between thirty-five verses extolling the breathless majesty of Heaven for God's people is this one little verse:

When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you.

- Psalm 68:18

Oh-Oh! There it is!  That guy who cheated you… the woman who betrayed you… the friend who rejected you, lied to you… the employer who unfairly fired you… the neighbor who slandered you… Are you kidding me? They're in Heaven? How? Apparently, the one who rebelled against you received the same gift of grace that you received from Jesus.

Ha! Doesn't that beat all? THEY GOT INTO HEAVEN THE SAME WAY I DID. THEY RECEIVED A GIFT FROM GOD THEY DID NOT DESERVE.

Has it ever crossed your mind that on your deepest, darkest, worst day - when that habit came raging back and you caved, or after another out-of-control argument with your spouse, or after you did what you said you would never do, or after you took credit for something good someone else did - that on your worst day, did it ever occur to you that God looks at you, in that moment, and feels compassion?

If your answer is "No," you do not understand the heart of your Heavenly Father.

Remember the prodigal son? After this son rejected his father… cursed his father… took advantage of his father… wished his father dead - I mean, Jesus could not have made this son look any worse - And what did the father, what does God the Father do? "While His son was still a long way off […] filled with love and compassion […] the Father ran to him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)...and... an enemy of the father was turned into a child of the Father.

Several years ago, my son, a middle school PE teacher, was telling me about this "prodigal" student he had. He was disruptive, disrespectful, a real pain in his "blessed assurance." And then one day, on his daily run, my son saw this boy. He was living out of a car with his mom. Tyler said, "Dad, it gave me a whole 'nother dimension of understanding, patience, and grace for him."

Listen… as you think about that glorious day when we step into Paradise… when everything wrong is made right… maybe, just maybe, you should prepare yourself for the surprise when you find yourself standing next to someone who was so wrong and now - like you - has been made so right! After all, chances are, they are as surprised to see you as you are to see them!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord! AMEN.

Pastor Harry

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