Daily Devotional for Thursday, August 1, 2013 Reading: Revelation 21:1-7 (CEB) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring. Those who emerge victorious will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my sons and daughters. Reflection: Plenty of people read this passage near the conclusion of John’s Revelation and get the idea that there is something coming in the future that those who believe in Christ will be a part of. Those people are absolutely right! The fancy, theological term for this is “eschatology” - the study of the end of days, that which is to come at the end of time as we know it. So, it’s true; there is a time somewhere in the future where Christ will come back. However, we make an unfortunate mistake if we think that the new heaven and new earth written about by John is only something that is coming somewhere in the possibly distant future. Such a belief paints Christianity as a religion that is all about preparing for death and the second coming of Christ, whichever comes first. Such an understanding of our faith is missing one very important point. That point is this: The reign of God is not only a future event. The reign of God is also, in fact, a present event! The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was the seminal event that ushered in the present and coming reign of God. It means that God reigns not just sometime in the future, but in the here and now. What does that mean for us? It means that we as Christians play an active role in God’s reign today. We play an active part in bringing about the new heaven and new earth that John so eloquently wrote about in this beautiful text. We are called as Christians to bring about God’s kingdom on earth through the way we live our lives. Sometimes, we call this “living into the reign of God.” We are called to live in such a way that God’s present reign is reflected in that way of life. Imagine if we all did just that. It would truly transform the world. Prayer: Lord God, as we struggle to live our daily lives and grow into your image, help us to live out your reign in the here and now, so that our lives will glorify you, and will show others the joys of your present and coming Kingdom. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:36:26 +0000
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