“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “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.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."
The beginning and end of all our life stories find its home in the presence of Jesus. Auther N. D. Wilson is quoted as saying, "To an infinite artist, a Creator in love with His craft, there is no unimportant corner, there is no thrown-away image, no tattered thread in the novel left untied."
No tattered thread in the noval left untied... Think of the loose ends in your own life story and in the lives of those you love. This Scripture gives us a prophetic expectation that in the "dash" (the middle places between the day we were born and the day we die), there will be tears, but one day God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes." There will be death, but one day its power will be no more. As we learn to trust Jesus with the unfinished stories of our lives, we then become a safe space to welcome friends to bring their whole selves, joy and tears, into the presence of an eternally loving God.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, make room in my heart. Sweep out the cobwebs and cluttered corners of my heart so that I can love you without distractions.
C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity:
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
“If we let him—for we can prevent him, if we choose—he will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a…dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright, stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) his own boundless power and delight and goodness.”
God, thank you that when I was lost, you found me. When I was ashamed, you forgave me. You nailed the accusations against me to the cross (Col 2:13) and I can receive your forgiveness now. I surrender my whole life and heart to you again today. Make yourself at home and reframe my life with your vision. Live as King within every room of my heart.
John 14:1-3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
Father, you are the master builder. You are crafting worlds, stories and lives with your redeeming love. Come captivate me today with your creativity!
No comments:
Post a Comment