As God has given us all that we need:peace, love and joy; we must take the others with that in mind. There will be loss, pain and war, but if these are the things we set our eyes on we will miss out of the joys of life and heaven. I have read a book by Ted Dekker about heaven and how church has lost the meaning of such a word. We don't want to discuss death, nor where we will go after life here on earth is over.
Here is a devotional that sums it up.
People are seekers of the benefits of God:peace, love, joy and heaven, but they lack the connection, relationship with God to attain such benefits. God wants his people to seek him (Am 5:4), not just his benefits. He wants people who are looking for a relationship with Him, people who are wiling to sacrifice for that relationship- not because he wants to see them suffer but because he knows the benefits suffering brings. Peace joy and hope shine most brightly in5s this peace give you confidence to do (Ro 5:2)? You can have access to and a relationship with the Creator of the universe!
Having a relationship with God produces hope. (Ro 5:2-5) How is hope developed? How is this hope different from the world's hope? The Holy Spirit in the One who fills us with the love of God.
This hope produces joy. Just as Paul learned he secret of contentment (Php 4:12), you can learn the secret of joy. What us Paul's secret? (Ro 15:3, Php 1:4-6) How does this attitude allow you to view your sufferings in a new way (Ro 5:3-4; Jas 1:2-4; 1 Pe 1:6-9)?
You will only gain true peace, joy and hope through having a relationship with God. That relationship can only be developed in Jesus Christ. And your experience of it can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Though suffering is often a part of the Christian life people anticipate with fear, God uses it to produce deep and lasting peace, joy and hope.
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