We often say ‘The best is yet to come’ but the fact is, this is absolutely true!  Recently, my dear husband, Mike, went to be with the Lord. He had become a Christian in his twenties and was delivered from a life of drunkenness – an instant stopping. God’s power was at work in his life and until the day he died, he displayed courage and trust and faith in God who he loved and followed. For me, there is a big human gap in my life and home but for him, it is far better and in fact he is experiencing the best that there is.

As the Bible clearly states and shows, “God is love” (1 John 4) and to be in the direct presence of God himself is to be bathed in love continually. We haven’t yet experienced this although we can know God’s love in wonderful ways here on earth – a taste of heaven itself.

Our choices here on earth matter enormously. Our eternal destiny depends on what we consider and do about Jesus who is the only sin bearer there is. The only way to get to heaven which is the best of the best is to be holy. God cannot handle sin of any kind and in heaven there is none of it even though we finite beings have sinned on heart. None of us humans is naturally holy. It is only God who can make us holy and He provided this way through Jesus dying and rising again – a fact of history. Jesus died in our place so that an exchange can take place. He forgives our sin and comes into our life to make us what we are supposed to be. We can’t live this Christian life or try to be holy – it is God working in us that does the work.

This is why I love the Bible so much and want every child to appreciate it too. As a teenager, I was so aware of my sin and I remember one day walking home with friends from school pushing my bike and thinking that if they really knew the heart of me they wouldn’t want to know me. It was about a year later that I came to know who Jesus really was and asked him to come into my life. This was the best choice I have ever made and it has made a huge difference in my life.

The Bible also gives us some insight as to what is best after having become a Christian while here on planet Earth. In Luke 10, Jesus visits two sisters, Mary and Martha. The latter loved to entertain and was most welcoming but got frazzled by having to do so much. Mary chose to sit near Jesus and listen to him. When Martha complained about her duties, Jesus praises Mary, saying that really only one thing was needful and Mary had chosen that which was best.

Children can feel insecure and alone in this frightening world which is why we advocate and provide Biblical verses for them to memorise in each of our books. Then, whenever children have a problem or difficulty or find life just too hard these verses anchored in their memory can be recalled and be a means of solace and comfort. The Bible is so powerful as the Holy Spirit shows us the meaning of what God is wanting us to know. It says in Hebrews 4:12 (Good News Bible)  that “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.” Then in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (GN) there’s more, where it says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.”

Let’s aim for the best not just the good!