Perfect Future
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, you know that pain and grief we experience here on earth is present because it is broken here. You also know this place is not our home. Please help us to trust that despite our hardships here, you have a place for us where there is no more suffering. A place where we will spend eternity with you pain free, forever.
Read Ruth 3 and 4 on your own.
“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.” Revelation 21:3-5
REFLECT:
I’d love to tell you a story about a time I struggled and then it was all better because that would be a fun story. The truth is I don’t really have any stories like that. I have experienced pain and grief at various times for various reasons. In the years that I have been a Christ-follower I have found it easier to move beyond the pain and believe there is a purpose in it for my good, which is nice. Despite that, pain is pain. Grief is grief. And it hurts.
Here is the good news: Our pain and grief in this world is so temporary it’s almost unimaginable how temporary it really is. Compared to eternity, our time here on earth is infinitely less than the time it takes to snap your fingers. Jesus died on the cross over 2,000 years ago to create a pathway to God for each one of us. Even the very best of us falls short of the glory of God. Trusting that Jesus paid the price of our sin all those years ago and accepting his free gift of salvation ensures that when your time here on earth is done, you get eternity with him in heaven. An eternity that has no death. An eternity that has no mourning. An eternity that has no crying. An eternity that has no pain. Accept Jesus as your lord and savior and rest easy in the knowledge that your future is better than you could ever imagine.
APPLY:
If you’re experiencing a time of grief, it might be helpful to acknowledge the source of your grief and then think about how you would like it to be instead. Try writing down what your situation would be like absent the circumstances causing you pain. Let that represent hope for a better future. A time when the suffering of this world is no more.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for covering my sin with your blood. Because of you I can experience what life was meant to be when my time here on earth is over. Because of you I can patiently accept what life throws at me while I await an eternity of perfection with you.
CONTINUED READING:
Psalm 30:5, Revelation 21:3-5
WORSHIP: