Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” (Revelation 21:1-6, ESV)
Here is one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture. If you’re a believer, this is your hope and reward, when all things become new. Pain, hurt, tribulation, trials, distress, poverty, grief, sin… these things will be no more! I want to encourage you and me today as we look forward to what’s to come.
Back in my junior and amateur golf days, when I performed well in certain tournaments, it would get me into the bigger events around the country. The practice and determination I had, knowing the bigger events were in the near future, heightened and increased. I couldn’t wait to play!
I wonder if we look forward to eternity with such massive anticipation. When we think of the future and the perfection of dwelling with our Savior, two things should happen within believers:
- Encouragement and Delight
We should be encouraged to think about the second coming of Christ because all things will become new. My Crohn’s disease and kidney stones will be no more. Aches and pains that come along with broken marriages, lies, cheating, murder will come to an end.
Do you know what else will come to an end? Our sin. Not just the sin of other people; your sin will come to an end. It is hard for me to imagine this, as I am a sinner and sinners are really good at sinning. Defiling God, disobeying his commands, sinning against our neighbors—all this will stop. Oh, what a beautiful day it will be!
Such understanding should lead us to delighting in our heavenly Father. As we live out this life on earth in a very imperfect way, we should be overjoyed in knowing that we will one day perfectly delight in God and his Son!
- Motivation
Recognizing that one day this earth will be no more should spur us on to good works and to reach the lost for Christ. My good deeds are brought on by a heart grateful for what God did for me through his Son. I should want to please my Father, for he bought me with the precious blood of his Son.
We should also be motivated to spread the word of the good news of the Gospel, that Jesus has come to save sinners in “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9). Reaching our neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and children is something commanded of us. Proclaiming the hope of Christ is a joy and privilege for the sake of the Gospel.
I hope you were encouraged today. It is good and profitable to look ahead sometimes, using it as encouragement, delight, and motivation in this sinful world and in this sinful body.
—
Rosson Anderson
September 29, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.