The Promise

Revelation 21:1-5, 21-27

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2021%3A1-5%2CRevelation%2021%3A21-27&version=NIV;NLT

 

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”      NLT

 

Promises bring with them the sense of a new beginning; a fresh start; a new adventure. A wedding, for instance, ushers in the promise of a new life together; of new love; of a future family.

 

We’ve all made promises. And we’ve all broken them. Who hasn’t made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, only to give up soon thereafter? Or promised to be on time from now on, and ended up late for your next meeting? But God’s word is “trustworthy and true”.

 

God has made a promise to those who believe and follow Him; to those whose name is in the Book of Life. It’s the promise of the New Jerusalem; of Heaven.

 

² I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ 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. ⁴ ‘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.”      NIV

 

It sounds beautiful doesn’t it? It’s the ultimate promise that brings with it hope for the future, a new beginning, and a new life. It defeats death; stops shame; washes away guilt. This is where believers will live in the presence of God for eternity.

 

Author Stephen Covey wrote, “Begin with the end in mind”. For believers, the New Jerusalem is the end. So if you begin there, how does that affect your life between now and then? How does it affect you on a daily basis; on your decisions, your relationships, your job, or your finances?

 

God has made you a promise that he will keep. He is faithful. His word is trustworthy. Let’s keep His promise... The Promise, at the forefront of our mind.