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)
John saw it.
While John was on the island of Patmos, God gave him a revelation unveiling the spiritual conflict between God and Satan and the decisive victory that is the Lord’s. John saw a dwelling place where there are no more unwiped tears, no more pandemics, no more child abuse, no more sex trafficking, no more rape, no more addiction, no more jealousy, no more murder, no more lies, no more comparison, no more loneliness, and no more fear. Long after the days when he walked the dusty roads alongside Christ and heard His voice command demons, disease, and death to submit to His authority, John was reminded of who he was and what his future would be. John saw a glimpse of the fullness of the redemption of God.
It had been even longer since the day when everything changed for John as he worked alongside his brother James and his father Zebedee. Despite their hard labor, the still, misty mornings, sleepy blue waters, and the sound of gentle waves lapping onto the sides of the boat probably offered a measure of contentment. That morning, John’s identity was found in the title of “fisherman,” but when Jesus, the Son of God, called him out of that boat and into the title of “fisher of men,” his life would never be the same.
Has It All Changed for You?
Was it just a few months ago when you felt secure? Did you have your own calm waters that seemed safe, and much of the time, relaxing, dependable and comfortable? Now it seems as if the boat has capsized. Perhaps you’re struggling, fearful, and anxious. Questions and uncertainties swirl around in your head as you lie awake, praying for God to settle your heart and mind.
But maybe Jesus is calling us all out of the cruise ship of comfort and away from what we formally knew and sought after. Maybe we’ve been a bit slow to turn our back on the comfort we deemed as “normal.” Maybe “normal” really meant complacency or even a measure of boredom with God.
You didn’t have the opportunity like John did, to literally kick up the dust along the road beside Jesus, but you have “walked” with Him. You weren’t present when Jesus commanded the dead to rise or demons to flee, but you are blessed to have His Word that recounts those miracles.
God has proven Himself faithful through His mercy and grace. To settle your heart and mind in that is to take a bold stand against fear. We fear what we do not know and what we cannot see. But John saw what is coming for believers in Christ and God gave us a glimpse of it in His Word.
Perhaps the way of life and the things you previously deemed as comfortable are now being threatened. But what can you attach yourself to in this life that won’t eventually disappoint you? Nothing in this world that can save us, so why do we continually search out temporary comforts? We rearrange and strive and fanagle what we can in an attempt to feel better. We do it in our marriages, with our children, in outside relationships, in our careers, and within the church. We find our identity in [fill in the blank]. But God has called you out of comfort and an ordinary life. He’s called you into a relationship with Him. He’s called you into redemption. That’s your identity now.
Life Here Is Only a Part of Your Story
According to Revelation 21:3, God’s dwelling place is with man. God is alive in you. His Word is alive in you. His Spirit is alive in you. That means you are His. Eternally. No matter how anxious or unknown you feel the days are, it is impossible for you to be anything but fully-known, held safely in His care. You will suffer on this earth—Jesus made that clear. But He also promised to be with you.
Imagine, John had the privilege of touching, speaking with, and eating with a resurrected Christ! But years after his beloved Savior’s ascension to heaven, John was exiled. Alone. Waiting. Unsure of what was to come. But through revelation from God, John was powerfully reminded of who he was and what his future would be. It is also a reminder to you—who you are and what your future holds. My sisters, that should raise a “Hallelujah” in your soul!
Revelation tells us the former things will cease to exist. That includes cancer, conflict, and even this time of waiting for Christ’s return. Everything will be redeemed. God will wipe away every tear. Can you imagine no more crying? No more feeling alone or misunderstood, ignored, unwanted, undesired, or not enough. Every single thing that is causing conflict within your soul will cease. Nothing can cancel your identity in Christ.
In the meantime, God knows the struggles you are going to face and the worry that can seize hold of your heart. It’s nothing new for His children to fear. Meander through the Psalms and you’ll discover that King David not only had complex circumstances to feel overwhelmed about, but spent a great deal of time crying out to God. Pay attention to where his crying out eventually lands. It resolves when David realizes that he is known by God and that God is fully present with him during great trials. David understood that his redemption was secure and with it, a guarantee of God’s present and future presence.
With Him There Is Full Redemption
Being fully present with the Lord means you will be fully consumed by Him. Gone will be the desire for power, control, attention, comparison, and winning. Gone will be the struggles of feeling less-than, controlled, abused, manipulated, and used. Gone will be agendas, ill motives, selfish deeds, unfulfilled longings.
This is where you are headed my sister! This is your future. No one knows the storms that are looming on the horizon, but we can absolutely trust that God is fully in control and that we are growing ever closer to the reality of what John saw. There is coming a day when our full redemption will not only be understood, but lived out for all eternity. John saw it, and someday, so will we.
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