Daily Devotionals

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way Week 4: Monday

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. Revelation 21:3

Perhaps the most devastating thing lost in Eden is the intimacy that human beings had with God. Sin separated humanity and God, and their relationship changed. But, praise God that this is not the end of the story. You see, for those who are followers of Christ, one day, God will restore what was lost in Eden. When Jesus returns and restores everything, followers of Christ will be with God forever. 

As he wrote about what will happen after Jesus returns, John made it abundantly clear that they will forever be in the presence of God after Jesus restores everything. He wrote in Revelation 21 about a vision where he saw a new Heaven and new Earth appear, replacing the old Heaven and old Earth (verse 1). As He described this vision, He wrote, "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, 'Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them" (verse 3). While we do not know everything about what will happen when this new Heaven and Earth appear, we know that God will be with us, making all the difference. You see, God created us to have a relationship with Him, and when Jesus returns and makes everything right, everything that was lost in Eden will be restored. This includes our relationships with God. On this day, our hearts and minds will finally feel at home. 

This is the incredible truth for followers of Christ: we do not have to fear death. Only Jesus can take the seemingly worst thing on Earth and make it the best thing for followers of Christ. After all, when Jesus restores everything, God will make His home among His people, and we will finally be home. This, my friends, is the hope we have in Christ. Praise God for the hope we have of life with Him after death. 

Moving toward action

While you read from the Going Deeper section today, listen to the song "When We All Get to Heaven" by Matt Redman. As you read Scripture and listen to a song about Heaven, pray. Thank God for the incredible hope of Heaven that we all have. Thank God you will be in His presence after you take your last breath on Earth.

Going Deeper

Revelation 21:1-9 (NLT)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

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." 6 And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega-the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars-their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."