I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:3-4
A few years ago, I was sitting with my son in a doctor’s office when we received bad news: It’s his lungs. There were issues since the very beginning, and we had been through numerous treatments and even surgeries. Those interventions had helped over the years but they only solved portions of the problem—they also added complications.
That’s the way life goes, isn’t it? We make our way forward as best we can, using what we have at our disposal, and given that technology has come a long way, we can make it further than ever down the path. But the truth is we live in a world that is falling apart. Perhaps the better way to say it is that we live in a world that is tearing itself apart. You see it. I see it. The good news? God has and will continue to do something about it!
As John wraps up sharing the vision God gave him for our future together with him, I am convinced he saves the best for last. He paints a picture of humanity being united with God once and for all.
And the result?
No more of the stuff that makes the headlines. No more of the parental pain of watching your kids carry something you never had to and being very limited in what you can do about it.
As our story unfolds, we do not know what twists and turns the drama will take. We do not know where the victories and the comedy will be. We do not know when our story will turn into a tragedy either. What we do know is Jesus Christ has been sent, he fought an epic battle on our behalf, and he will come again to set things right once and for all.
Take that bad news. Your days are numbered. God says so. We get to believe it and find peace today.
Reflection:
- Where have you experienced the pain of living in this world most deeply?
- Where did God provide for you in those moments?
- What pain or unfinished business still remains?
- How does the promise of God returning to remove the pain of the world forever impact the way you see your life and story today?