Saturday, April 12, 2014
Revelation 22:2-5 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations ... The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face ... And they will reign for ever and ever.
PARADISE FOREVER
In the vision of John in Revelation the Lord also pictures for us the pure righteousness and the healthfulness of soul and body that will flow to us from His hand in an endlessly gushing stream when we're with Him in Paradise.
It's hard to imagine now. Our bodies have aches and pains. Our days have ups and downs. Even the good things of life we enjoy during our earthly existence have an end to them. Holiday get-togethers spent in company with loved ones seem to be over before they start. Relaxing weekends away from the daily work-grind give way all too soon to "manic Mondays." Not so in the Paradise to come. Perfect satisfaction, pure pleasure, lasting contentment will be the order of the day.
Our greatest joy will be realized in the endless service we'll be privileged to render to Him who redeemed us to be His and to do so with no sinful weaknesses weighing us down. Not ever getting distracted, not ever being bored. And to see Him, our dear Savior, with our own eyes.
As we enter Holy Week, let us keep before our mind's eye the grand purpose of Jesus' sacrificial death and Easter triumph, which was to prepare a place for us so that we may be where He is in joy unending.
