Drinking deeply . . .

Rivers evoke dozens of memories. As a child, my dad took me fishing in a rowboat on the Bow in Alberta, Canada. We camped in the mountains besides gurgling streams of fresh, cold water. We’ve driven along the banks of the Columbia and other mighty rivers in the USA and lived near the Kenai in Alaska with its King Salmon and incredible scenery. I think also of rivers in several cities lined with ancient architecture like the Arno in Florence or the Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as picture waterways polluted with mud and junk in many parts of the world.

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John is given a vision of a river much more important than any of these. It may not be actual but symbolic. Either way, who would not want to drink from it or take a swim!

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1–5)

The vision starts out with the river of the water of life, the trees that heal the nations, the purity of that place, and how it leads to the throne of God where those who serve Jesus Christ will worship Him. He replaces all sources of light with His brilliance and His people will reign with Him forever. I am enchanted by this vision.

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Jesus, I can imagine the river and its trees but I cannot imagine life without sin, lamps, or sunshine. I can only long for this remarkable promise to be fulfilled, to see Your face and never again experience sorrow or pain. This last book of the New Testament has increased my longing and filled my heart with joy and great anticipation. In the beginning, it said, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) I have been blessed by reading how You hand over the kingdom to Your Father after destroying all other dominion, authority, and power, and blessed as You demonstrate for all time that You are King of kings and Lord of lords for all eternity.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- glad for today’s vision, a bright spot in the sadness of my sister’s struggles.

- calls from family expressing their concerns and somehow comforting us.

- getting a pile of envelopes in the mail.

- herbal tea.

- being flexible with our plans.

Good news . . . bad news . . . good news . . .

The past few days have brought down-up-down-up news in our family. My sister fell and broke her hip on Christmas day, had surgery the next day without complications, but yesterday was not a good one. I’m not sure what the next text or phone call will bring, but I am certain that I want good news. She lives four hours away and our plan is to go see her as soon as she can have visitors. One prior issue; she lost the ability to talk much more than a few words but is still mentally sharp, not had a stroke. I cannot imagine her frustration.

This morning’s Bible reading brings good news. I am eager for this event when our struggles will be over and my sister and I can swap stories as we behold our Lord and Savior, our mutual best friend.

This is what He revealed to John about the best news ever:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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.” (Revelation 21:1–4)

This was also promised at least 600 years before Jesus was born as well as in the New Testament:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22)

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10–13)

Other than “no sea” little is said except that the people of God will live in this new earth. Expositors differ on the timeline, but using the principle that clear passages should be used to explain obscure passages, the second coming of Christ is followed by a thousand-year reign on earth (which includes the sea), and this in turn is followed by a new heaven and new earth, the dwelling place for God’s people forever.

After this revelation, God gives another one, partly good news but ending with bad news, at least for some:

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 one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:5–8)

This passage does not affirm salvation by works but restates that works indicate one’s spiritual status. Many will be in heaven who were guilty of these sins but turned from them after trusting Christ as their Savior. Though works are the evidence of salvation or lack of it, they are never the basis or ground of it.

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Lord Jesus, will I miss this world and its beauty? Certainly not the messy sinful part of it. Here, I’ll walk a beach aware that no sea may mean no beaches, but I’ve a feeling that this new world will be magnificent; beaches will be a moot point. The good news of the former things passing away is my hope, our hope. As the world deteriorates along with godliness and love for Jesus and His people, my heart longs for the glories and perfection of this eternal dwelling place — and to see my Savior’s face. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- the joy in my heart when reading God’s promises.

- good news about my sister; she is showing improvement.

- lots of pattern sales this week with most logged in and nearly ready to mail.

- the ability to exercise without too much strain!

It is finished!

Months ago, I attempted to answer the question of God feeling pain, not our pain but pain when people speak evil of Him or take His name in vain. Perhaps the best way to describe what I’m thinking is by analogy. When the kid next door beat my son over the head with a Tonka truck, I did not feel any pain myself, but I winced for the pain suffered by my child. This is the pain of empathy and compassion.

When Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world, His agony was both. That is, He suffered physically as a man regarding His own body, but also the great pain of God’s wrath upon our sin, a pain that we who believe in Christ do not have to suffer.

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28–30)

His words, “It is finished” are an accounting term. When a debt was paid, these words were written across the bill or account. It was done, never to be charged or collected again. From my side of this event, this means that my debt of sin is paid, done, over with. All is written off because Jesus covered it on my behalf.

But what does it mean for Jesus? Does it indicate that His suffering for my sin, even the sin of the world, is finished, done, over with? The Bible says that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. It also says that He died for sin once, a suffering never to be repeated.

From that, I’m thinking Jesus suffers no more, nor does the Father or the Spirit. We can “quench” the Spirit and “grieve” Him, yet these are more like the Tonka truck thing. He is affected by our pain and foolishness because of His compassion, not because it hurts Him personally.

I could be wrong on this. Tozer says that when the soldier drove his spear into the side of Jesus, he believes that was felt in heaven. Was it felt like the Son of Man felt it? Or was it felt like I felt the clunk of the truck? God felt pain when His Son became a man and died for us, but does He still feel it? Or is it ‘finished’ for Him also?

Sometimes when a person sins, they feel bad because they “hurt Jesus” but I’m thinking this is backwards. Instead, when I sin God feels bad because I am harming myself.

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Jesus, the more I know You, the more I realize that Your compassion and empathy are not bound by a personal reaction that is about Your own feelings. Instead, You felt my pain and sorrow and whatever else this means when You died on the cross and that became a done deal. However, this is more than my tiny brain can process. Show me how to think about it. I’m also interested in experiencing the same joy that You now enjoy because Your work is finished.