And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
The twenty-first chapter of Revelation centers around heaven coming to earth - God dwelling on earth to be forever with His own. What a magnificent glimpse into the wonders of heaven and the glory of our God’s dwelling place. God is at the center of it all. Everything described in chapter 21 is for God, by God and about God. But when I read chapter 21 of Revelation, in particular verse 4, all I can think about is my mom.
I don’t know how a person grieves without the hope of heaven. No clue. Grieving the unexpected loss of my mom almost broke me, and I have the hope of Christ. Saying goodbye to my mom after she suffered a massive stroke a year and a half ago was excruciatingly difficult. Accepting her loss and that she is truly gone has been a long, painful process. But for heaven I would have found a way to give up on life - the pain and loss were so overwhelming.
The truth of heaven helped pull me through a season of grief and give me hope for the future. One day a few months ago, out of long-held habit, I began to pray for my mom’s needs and realized I no longer needed to ask anything at all on her behalf. Every need she ever had on this side of heaven has been answered and completed. She is free from pain of every kind, free from the threat of sickness and death. She is in the presence of the Savior and would not trade it for anything at all.
The older I get, the more I long for heaven … for the presence of Christ in His full splendor, for the broken to be made whole, for peace without limit, for an eternity with my Jesus. And this hope: heaven holds my mom. One day, for the both of us, the shadow of suffering and death will be no more as we join for an eternity of time spent together in worship of the King. Held by heaven. It’s the beautiful promise for every believer who puts their faith in the person of Jesus Christ.
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