...They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for He has prepared for them a city.
..I still remember it today..
As a child, fear mixed with awe and excitement would come over me nearly every time I saw sunbeams breaking through the sky on a cloudy day. "Is Jesus coming back today?," "Will He be taking me with Him?," I would wonder through my heavily clouded understanding of eternity. Now, years later, much stronger hope, longing, and expectation have begun rising up within me surrounding the subject of eternity and the Kingdom of God.
..Who doesn't long for all wrongs to be made right?..
Every election season, don't we all itch for quality governance in the land; for wise and good leaders to be elected? There is something knit within the fabric of every human heart that longs for all to be well, for everyone to get along, for genuine love to be what naturally flows in interactions between all people. We literally ache for a cure for cancer, for there to be an end to death, suffering, and pain. Could such a reality ever be possible?
I am more convinced than ever that most, if not all, of our hopes in human efforts toward peace, well-being, and love at home and abroad are misplaced. These days my expectation is being anchored in what I believe is the one and only lasting solution. There is hope; this reality we live in today is not the end of the story. Isaiah 42:4 promises God "will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for His law."
..Could it be that there is such a King who really will come?..
There's a conviction within my heart that the perfect leader really is coming in the flesh; that Jesus Himself will lovingly rule within a real government over a real domain... a real kingdom... and "His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea," Habakkuk 2:14. The overarching message of the Bible is that from the beginning of time, the plan and desire of God has been to actually dwell among us, the people He created and loves. I believe it will happen... my prayer is that it will happen soon.
Imagine what you would feel inside at hearing this oracle yourself: "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...'" Revelation 21:3,4
..More to come..
This is a massive topic that's threaded throughout the Scriptures... way too much for one blog post! How will I ever find words to begin to describe the thrill of the thought of having an indestructible body that lives forever on the fully restored earth where God Himself dwells among men? I'll have to unpack these thoughts another day (I suppose for all eternity). Stay tuned for more verses and snippets of revelation as I continue to reflect on the abundance of Scriptures on the subject...
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for He has prepared for them a city.
Hebrews 11:16
..I still remember it today..As a child, fear mixed with awe and excitement would come over me nearly every time I saw sunbeams breaking through the sky on a cloudy day. "Is Jesus coming back today?," "Will He be taking me with Him?," I would wonder through my heavily clouded understanding of eternity. Now, years later, much stronger hope, longing, and expectation have begun rising up within me surrounding the subject of eternity and the Kingdom of God.
..Who doesn't long for all wrongs to be made right?..
Every election season, don't we all itch for quality governance in the land; for wise and good leaders to be elected? There is something knit within the fabric of every human heart that longs for all to be well, for everyone to get along, for genuine love to be what naturally flows in interactions between all people. We literally ache for a cure for cancer, for there to be an end to death, suffering, and pain. Could such a reality ever be possible?
I am more convinced than ever that most, if not all, of our hopes in human efforts toward peace, well-being, and love at home and abroad are misplaced. These days my expectation is being anchored in what I believe is the one and only lasting solution. There is hope; this reality we live in today is not the end of the story. Isaiah 42:4 promises God "will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for His law."
..Could it be that there is such a King who really will come?..
There's a conviction within my heart that the perfect leader really is coming in the flesh; that Jesus Himself will lovingly rule within a real government over a real domain... a real kingdom... and "His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea," Habakkuk 2:14. The overarching message of the Bible is that from the beginning of time, the plan and desire of God has been to actually dwell among us, the people He created and loves. I believe it will happen... my prayer is that it will happen soon.
Imagine what you would feel inside at hearing this oracle yourself: "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...'" Revelation 21:3,4
..More to come..
This is a massive topic that's threaded throughout the Scriptures... way too much for one blog post! How will I ever find words to begin to describe the thrill of the thought of having an indestructible body that lives forever on the fully restored earth where God Himself dwells among men? I'll have to unpack these thoughts another day (I suppose for all eternity). Stay tuned for more verses and snippets of revelation as I continue to reflect on the abundance of Scriptures on the subject...
No comments:
Post a Comment