The weaning of a child marks the end of a temporary condition and the beginning of a state in which the child will continue for the rest of his life. Likewise, the weaned soul is taken out of a temporal condition into a state in which it will continue forever. To rise above the world by ceasing to hanker for it is to enter into a heavenly existence in which one will hope in the Lord forever, as David admonishes us to do in Psalm 131:3.

Apart from nostalgia and sentimental reasons, the changing of one’s residence naturally results in the transfer of the heart, as well as the person, from one’s former to one’s present abode. What happens to one’s current home becomes far more consequential than anything happening to the former one. For instance, as sad as it may be to learn that one’s former home has fallen into disrepair or been destroyed by fire, one’s present living accommodations will remain unaltered by the fact. Nothing happening at a former residence has much bearing on one’s present life.

Once the soul is weaned from this world and the heart transferred to its new home in the world to come, things occurring in this world become less and less consequential to the calmed soul. Granted, the calmed soul may be saddened, even heartbroken, over things occurring in this fallen world, but its affection for the world to come will remain unaltered, being unaffected by the goings on in this world.    

As we learned in our devotion on Day 26, the Bible teaches, contrary to popular opinion, that the only way to be of any earthly good is to be so heavenly minded. You will never live in this world as Christ intends you to live until your affections are transferred from it to the world to come, as the Apostle Paul teaches in Colossians 3:1-2. Only those preoccupied with Heaven, “where Christ sits on the right hand of God,” will be able to keep earthly things in a proper perspective.

According to the Apostle Paul, Christians have been raised and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:19-21; 2:6). Furthermore, our eternal life, which is both presently hid and preserved for us in Christ, will be at long last revealed and realized when Christ returns (Colossians 3:1-4). Therefore, Paul teaches us to live this life from our throne perspective in Heaven. Only by looking down on the temporal things of this earth from our eternal perspective in Heaven can we keep ourselves from hankering for the things of this world, as well as keep ourselves hoping in the Lord, in whom our eternal inheritance is reserved and by whom it will one day be revealed.

The calmed soul sees earthly things from the perspective of a heavenly throne.