Soon!

Soon!

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 KJV

A time is coming when everything you think you know or are familiar with will change. A time is coming when the usual will give way to the unusual and the supernatural. The first test to determine if any of these things is true is to critically examine the life and credentials of the One making the promise. There are several promises He's made, yet so far, none has been found to be false. If He then makes the promise in today's extract, then you can rest assured that He is able to bring it to pass.

Why is today's extract so important? Sin changed the entire landscape of our lives, both physically and spiritually. We lost the life that could not end and we got a life full of pain, sorrow and death. In fact, one of the pronouncements by God in Eden was that only through tears and sweat would man be able to get anything from the ground. And till today, the story is the same. There is so much labour and striving, but sometimes, the output is nothing compared to the effort.

However, it seems to me that in the same sentence, God is addressing both the present and the future. Everything you think you know changes when you come in contact with the eternal God. The former things give way to the new. In Christ, you receive new life; the hope of eternal redemption is sealed and the journey into the purpose of God for your life begins. At the end of the journey, when the reward for folowing God to the end is given to you, it will all be worth it. Tears will be wiped away; death will lose its hold; sorrow will become a thing of the past and pain would no longer apply to our changed bodies. After all, death and pain only apply to our mortal bodies.

In light of these, I am charged to hold on to God to the end. Would it be worth it if I hold on the things the world can give me, and lose out on the things God has promised? Nothing the world gives can replace the things God guarantees; eternity is the end of all our earthly labour. Where I spend mine is the result of my present daily life. If the Lord were to demand an account today, where would I end: with Him or away from Him? His time of favour is here.