July 10, 2019

My favorite passage of Scripture seems to hinge upon circumstances. Various passages have become like familiar friends to me. Certain conditions drive me to one “friend” for a time, others lead me gently to another. Feeling hopeful? Psalm 24 reminds me of God’s over-all-ness. Feeling joyful? Philippians 3 reminds me that I have complete sustenance in and through Christ. Feeling a sense of need? Psalm 23 walks me briskly from a place of neediness to strength in a matter of seconds.

But what about those times that are hard to peg? The times when emotions themselves are hard to gauge, when tiredness seeps in, or when apathy takes an extended stay within your soul? It’s times like these that usher me to a place of reading and meditating upon Revelation 21… If you’re able, please read these words aloud and listen carefully to the tone:

“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. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.’”

Hope. Life. Adornment. Dwelling. Healing. Purpose. Identity. This passage has it all!

Whatever we go through in life as believers, we have a promised hope given to us by God himself: he is in business of renewal.

When we face tragedy or triumph, we know our Alpha and Omega to be sovereign and faithful to us.

When we are troubled by the pain and sting of sin in this life, we are reminded that God is bringing Creation back to its intended purpose: adornment by God to bring him glory.

When we feel alone, unable to relate or harboring a sense of anonymity, or carrying a weight heavy upon our hearts, we find relief in the fact that God in Christ is our dwelling place. We as Christians have peace with God and grace upon grace gifted to us by Christ.

When we feel the injustices of our society against God’s image bearers and long for restitution to have its place, we are invited to anticipate our loving Father whose own hands will wipe away every last tear from his people’s eyes.

When we feel at a loss for words, wondering that age-old question, “How long, O LORD? How long until you make all things new? Where are you?” We are answered in Revelation 21 with the words of God which tell us that in him is life: he gives from the very spring of the water of life thirst-quenching life without price, the message of Christ which brings us to dwell in the love of Christ.

When we doubt our own position before God, feeling overcome by the weight of sin and its entanglements, we find in Revelation 21 the answer of identity: we are God’s sons and daughters whose heritage is this: victory through the conquering work of Christ over Satan, sin, and death on our behalf.

For all these reasons and more, Revelation 21:1–7 is a go-to passage of mine. It’s a familiar friend that nourishes me and stirs up my affections for Christ, hydrating the spiritual dryness we all face and blooming the garden of God’s grace that he plants in each of us as believers.