A sea of green waves triumphantly where for more than two years red clay painted the torn landscape in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. What was washed and rutted, a daily reminder of the storm’s devastation, is gradually becoming a perfectly situated oasis. Construction is expected to begin in the next few weeks on our son’s home and with it, a renewed excitement and hope for what lies ahead.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].”
James 1:17 AMP
https://www.bible.com/1588/jas.1.17.amp
The moon is a perfect example of a body designed to reflect light that is not its own, reminding us that the sun is still shining even when we cannot see it. The Bible refers to the old system under the law of Moses as a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. Even the priesthood pointed to the advent of our great eternal high priest, Jesus. John’s revelation of Jesus Christ helps us to imagine what that heavenly reality looks and sounds like but the fact that God’s Word refers to prescribed Old Testament worship as a shadow informs us that a heavenly reality exists and that we are meant to join with the vast crowd too great to count from every nation, tribe, and tongue in front of God’s throne and before the Lamb.
“And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!””
Revelation 7:10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rev.7.10.NLT
Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey’s colt. “When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.
“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!””
Luke 19:37-40 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.19.37-40.NLT
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars]; Their voice is not heard.
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth, Their words to the end of the world.”
Psalms 19:1-4 AMP
https://www.bible.com/1588/psa.19.1-4.amp
I am fascinated by sunsets more than by any other reflection of the glory of God in the natural world because it is one that I experience daily. A close second is a starlit sky, especially on the seashore with the moon reflecting on the surface of the water. Each radiates the beauty and magnitude of God in unique ways and considering that each of these created things is only a shadow of heavenly reality, my anticipation heightens with thoughts of my eternal home, though nothing will compare to being in Jesus’s presence forever!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.
And the sea was also gone.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!
He will live with them, and they will be his people.
God himself will be with them.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
And he also said, “It is finished!
I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.
To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.
All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”
Revelation 21:1-7 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rev.21.1-7.NLT
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.
Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.
Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
And since we are his children, we are his heirs.
In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering.
We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
We were given this hope when we were saved.
(If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.
But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”
Romans 8:14-25 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.14-25.NLT
“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.
So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
Romans 1:20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.1.20.NLT
How Can You Not ~Leanna Crawford https://youtu.be/8EEGZ3B_yeM?is=1fILCOxQKdaCu9aE
“Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!”
Psalms 150:1-2, 6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.150.1-6.NLT
Words We’ll Sing Forever ~Seph Schleuter https://youtu.be/HIC2SV04pFo?is=on3aUHwrDPFFs15V
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