All These Things Are Gone Forever

December 19, 2018

All These Things Are Gone Forever

“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

2018 has been a very violent year. Terrorists and gunman have inflicted pain, suffering and death on innocents. Hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes have brought death, devastation and unimaginable pain and suffering. The inconveniences, ailments and other matters in my life that seemed so urgent have paled to insignificance. I cringe at the thought of what the world may be like for my grandchildren. If it were not for Christmas, I could easily find myself weighed down with pessimism and a sense of hopelessness for the future of our world.

But Christmas is a reality that changed the world forever. Christmas doesn’t mean there will be no suffering, discouragement, disappointment, frustration or even death. Christmas means that the Kingdom of God will conquer all the forces that work against the fulfillment of God’s eternal promises. All these forces may impede me now, but they cannot separate me from the everlasting love of God in Christ Jesus. Nor can they follow me into the eternal Kingdom of God.

Christmas means I can experience the presence of my Abba Father in my life now and forever. Christmas means there is a time coming when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

My Takeaway: I know for many, these two truths of God may not seem like much in the stark reality of terrible losses experienced through violence and natural disasters. Even so, I choose to fully embrace the Apostle Paul’s benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NRSV)

 

Sē’lah

Alex

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.