As summer begins to envelop us in its haze of humidity and dripping popsicles and splashing at the pool, I want the sweetness of the longer days to point me to Christ. Summer is so unique- the heat, the cookouts, the lightheartedness that seems to permeate evenings as people stroll and bike and enjoy the “cooler” weather after a long day of work or play. I love remembering that these small joys are just a tiny glimpse of our future in heaven!
“Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel. God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute. If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman. That’s what summer is: God’s messenger with a sun-soaked, tree-green, flower-blooming, lake-glistening letter of love to show us what he is planning for us in the age to come—“things which the eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Don’t fall in love with the video preview, and find yourself unable to love the coming reality.
Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer. He is pre-eminent in all things (Colossians 1:18), including vacations and picnics and softball and long walks and cookouts. He invites us this summer: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). This is serious summer refreshment.”
-John Piper (full blog post here)
A Continual Feast 