One Day.....

“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.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV)”

I’ve been working on several posts the last couple of days, but tonight as I sit at my desk working on several different projects I can’t help but think of that coming day when death will be extinguished forever, never to be seen again. In that day sorrow will never be felt again. The scriptures say that death no longer has power over us, but in Revelations 20 we see where death itself is destroyed, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire...” (Revelation 20:14, ESV).

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)

While I understand that these scriptures communicate a heartbreaking message of judgment and destruction it also communicates a hope that we all hold to as followers of Christ. That the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection not only went to redeem man, but to redeem creation itself. The scriptures say that the streams will flow in the desert, and that the lion and the lamb will lie together.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ” (Romans 8:18-19, ESV)

Do you see what Paul says there? That the pain we feel and trouble we experience now is not even worth comparing with what we will experience in the age to come. I know that is not easy to say but we don’t understand the glory we will live in.

“For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV)

My consolation to hurting hearts in Christ is this. Look ahead of you and to the promise of Christ, to the day of salvation in its fullness. It’s ok to cry, grieve, hurt, but not as those who do not have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), because in Christ we have a hope of a better day. A day absent of hurt, sorrow, and pain, friends what a day that will be when righteousness reigns and evil is never to be remembered. Until then His Spirit is here comforting us and encouraging us to press on. So press on my brothers and sisters with that day in mind.