Joy in the New World

I have a confession to make. It took me a long while to come around to the idea of praying for Jesus’ return. I mean, I have a life to live, dreams to fulfill, people to love. Why rush it?

One summer, sitting alone and taking in a majestic mountain vista on a hillside in Glacier National Park, I distinctly remember thinking about this. Specifically, I wondered, “Lord, what you’ve created here is so beautiful. Why would you ever want to start over and create a new heaven and earth?” And in that moment, I sensed that God was saying, “Katie, if you think this view brings you Joy, just wait until you see what I’m going to do with eternity.”

And that’s what I’ve come to believe about my life too. In other words, Jesus might as well have been saying, “Katie…

…if you think the love you share with your husband and children brings you joy…

…if you think that dream you’ve been seeking after brings you joy…

…if you think the best moments of your life have brought you joy…

…just wait until you see what I’m going to do with eternity. Because in My eternity, you will have more than a taste of the Kingdom of heaven as you have seen in all these things that have brought you joy in this life. When I return, you will feast on Joy without the spices of a broken world to challenge its flavor."

And to that I say, “Well, come on then! Come, Lord Jesus.”

Here’s to remembering the night, under the illumination of a bright star, when a new and perfect little Joy was given to this world. And here’s to anticipating the night, someday, when Joy Himself will return, washing away our imperfections. I do now pray for and anticipate that night which will finally reveal, under the illumination of His very presence, the gift of a new and majestic world.

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3,4