The Reality of What Will Be

A few weeks ago, Adrian drew out from a passage in Nehemiah 2 that God is calling us to live in a way that reflects both the reality of what is and the reality of what will be. We aren’t to shy away from the challenges there are in our community, city, nation and the nations, but are to face them with honesty about the darkness and brokenness there is around us.

But we are also to live with hopefulness, knowing that this isn’t the end of the story because Jesus will return to rebuild and redeem and restore everything to how it’s meant to be. Those who are seeking to centre their lives on Jesus are called to live with a foot in both camps — their glasses both half empty and half full — recognising the reality of what is but dwelling on the reality of what will be.

We are to inhabit the future hope of the “not yet”, and continually pull it into the “now” through prayer and service as we announce and reveal the kingdom that is coming. And one key way to do that is to linger on the passages in Revelation 21 and 22 which speak of how the world will one day be.

Perhaps take some time again today to ponder those, and allow them to shape you again with the nature and character of this future hope, a hope which look like:

RELATIONSHIP: “Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people” (21:3)

LOVE: “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them” (21:3)

COMFORT: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (21:4)

JUSTICE & MERCY: “‘There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (21:4)

KNOWN & UNDERSTOOD: “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (21:3–4)

HEALING: “’There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (21:4) and “the leaves of the tree are for the healing” (22:2)

BEAUTY: “The Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (21:10b-11)

SAFETY: “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.” (21:25)

LEGACY: “The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it.” (21:26)

A GARDEN CITY: ”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” (22:1)

PEACE & UNITY: “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (22:2)

HONOUR: “They will see his face” (22:4)

BELONGING: “His name will be on their foreheads” (22:4)

REST: “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” (22:5)

THE LIFE INTENDED FOR US: “They will reign for ever and ever” (22:5)