Read Revelation 21:1-7 NLT ( emphasis on vs 3)
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 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. 4 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.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
What a beautiful glimpse of heaven we are given in these verses! But what strikes me the most about today’s passage is the promise in verse 3 that God himself will live with his people. Can you imagine… to be forever in God’s physical presence – God living among us?! Scripture goes on to detail what this means for the world. Nothing but a perfect world for a perfect God! No more sorrow, no more death, no more pain, no more crying – everything is made new; restored and whole again, as God intended for His beloved children.
Take some time and thank God for the hope we can hold onto through His Word today.
Lord, what a day it will be when we get to see the fullness of Heaven for ourselves! We long to be in your presence in a world that is as You intended from the beginning. Thank You for loving us so much that You would want to live among us. Thank You for the hope that fills us as we anticipate the day when all will be made new. Amen.
