May 10th

May 10th  

Sometimes I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak. I get that feeling that I need to brace for the next wave.

You know, that frustration that comes with not knowing what is ahead. I muttered something about that to the Lord when I was driving the other day and He said, “But you do know what is ahead, I told you and even had it written down for you.” Now He didn’t say that in an audible voice of course (although not that He couldn’t if He wanted to). But suddenly I smiled and was struck with joy, the joy of the Lord and that brought me renewed strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “…This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I smiled as I thought about what He HAS told us about what is ahead. For those of us who are Christ followers, we have so much to look forward to and that can bring a smile to us.

Revelation 21:3-7 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 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 water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Revelation 21:18-26 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:12-14 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Even when we don’t know what lies in our immediate future, and that may even include hard things, we can rejoice in what lies beyond that. No trial that we may face here can compare to what we will experience in the presence of our Savior King in Heaven someday soon. Now when I feel like I need to brace for another wave of hard, I start thanking Jesus that I have a future and a promise that doesn’t compare and I rejoice in the fact that He will be rescuing me from it all someday. -Because He loves me.

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you have good things in store for me. Help me to remember that promise when I feel anxious about how things are going here on earth. I know that you are holding me through everything and that you never leave me. Help me to look beyond the immediate future to my eternal future to keep all things in perspective.