Even though Lent is traditionally a solemn time of reflection and preparing our minds and hearts, we look ahead with hope, knowing that Christ beat death and sin.
In the passages today, we see a glimpse of that future life, where death and sin are no longer even a thing to worry about. For those who fear the Lord, times of great joy are coming!
As you are reading these passages, what speaks to your heart? For me, it is in verse 21 of Isaiah 65, “In those days people will live in houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.” Sometimes it’s easy to picture the new heavens and new earth as kind of an ethereal time of sitting on your cloud, playing gentle harp music, and thinking rosy thoughts for all of eternity. But in this picture, people are still doing relatively everyday things, but without all the worry and strife that might accompany it now on earth.
Some commentaries speculate about when this new heavens and earth will take place in the end times. I don’t know those answers. BUT, I am sure that when this new heavens and new earth do happen, we will not worry about such things! It will seem like a trivial detail. We will be too busy having the Lord take care of our needs before we are even done talking about them. We will live without the burden of sin. The sin of others, AND our own sin. Romans 4:7-8 says there is great joy for those whose sins are put out of the Lord’s sight. Verse 13 says, “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”
Death and sin are things to be solemn about. But we know that Christ beat those things when he was crucified and raised from the dead. We can live with that hope now, and for the future, when we will see the Lord. How then, should we live in light of this? What Scriptures come to mind that help you think about this?
(Philippians 1:21-30, Mark 12:28-34, and James 3 are helpful to me!)
Prayer:
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
Amen.
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