The Tug Of Heaven Is Growing Stronger Series

THE TUG OF HEAVEN IS GROWING STRONGER

INTRODUCTION

“When you feel the tug on the line, pull it up.” That order could fit many situations but it would be effective for raising ore in a bucket from a mine shaft. One below fills the bucket, and when the tug is felt then the one above pulls up the bucket of ore.

What about the tug on our lives? We have expressions like “tugging at the heart strings” meaning you stir up the emotions and sympathy, a device used sometimes for fundraising for some cause. You have “tug at the belly”. That means an association with love. Here is one I was not familiar with – “tug one’s forelock”. A forelock is a lock of hair growing just above the forehead, the part of the mane of a horse or similar animal, which then hangs down over the forehead. It means to try to make up to someone important, to show regard, to get their favour, “to crawl.”

Now talking about heaven, let us look at this expression “the tug of heaven”. It means heaven is tugging on us, pulling us towards it. The older one is, the stronger is the tug. Well, for Christians, it ought to be that way. The Lord has allotted a certain life span to each one of us. We often go about as though we will keep going on in this world, but that is a misconception. When young, we looked at people older and thought they were ancient. Even when I was 50 I thought people of 70 were old.

I would like to read something I wrote in the past. “Now I have reached that age. I am the age David was when he had only about a year to live.” David lived until he was 70. They were the allotted years given to him, three score years and ten. Of course I have passed that as a number of us have.

We are journeying to a waterfall or to a factory engine, and at the start of the trip we can hear nothing, but as we move along after some time we think we hear a faint sound. As we progress that sound gets louder and louder. The journey of life is like that. As we move towards the home call of the Lord, we begin to realise it more and more, and the call gets louder. It is the tug of heaven, heaven’s call, on our lives, in our souls.

WANTING TO REMAIN – WANTING TO GO

We build everything up for this life. For most human beings it is the 100% meaning to life – totally human and material.

Well what of heaven? By heaven I mean to be in the presence of the Lord.

Each one of us who is a child of God has the tug of heaven. We may feel it, be aware of it – in other words have it as a living reality. However the tug may be so faint because we don’t allow the lines to be attached with much purpose.

The question we ought to consider is how worthy is the Lord? I think if you have made Him your life’s goal and the centre of your life, then the Lord is very worthy to you, and the tug of heaven is known to you.

Paul was very aware of this tug on his own life as he expressed it in these verses – {{Philippians 1:20-25 “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death, for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain, but if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labour for me, and I do not know which to choose. I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake, and convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”}}

Paul had the desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better he said. In life, this is the tug of heaven. Heaven’s tug was strong in his heart. The desire to go home was his wishful purpose, but God was not ready at that time to take Paul into His presence. There was work to do and Paul was needed for that. More ministry was necessary and more scriptures had to be written. Paul’s times were in God’s hands but God’s hands were still open.