a glimpse

'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, 

for the first heaven and first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 

"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. 

He will dwell with them and they will be his people,

and God Himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,

neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, 

for the former things have passed away.

And he who was seated on the throne said,

"Behold, I make all things new."

And He also said, 

"Write this down for these words are trustworthy and true."

And He said to me, 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the beginning and the end. 

To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

The one who conquers will have this heritage,

and I will be his God and he will be my son.

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable,

as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all the liars, 

their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,

which is the second death."

The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. 

The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, 

the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, 

the eight beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysophase, 

the eleventh jacinth and the twelfth amethyst. 

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, 

and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, 

for the glory of God gives it light and its lamp is the Lamb.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, 

flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; 

also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,

 yielding its fruit each month. 

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, 

and his servants will worship him. 

They will see His face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 

And night will be no more. 

They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, 

and they will reign forever and ever. '

Revelation 21:1-8, 18-23, 22:1-5

In my limited and sin-stricken human understanding, the perfect and unhindered presence of the Almighty God is something I can't even imagine. 

More than streets paved with gold, 

the gates of pearl, 

the fruit, 

the healing, 

the comfort, 

the presence of the saints....

So much more than all of that, 

I am eager for His presence. 

To be face to face with God--

the One who is everything and in everything--

the Author and Perfecter of my faith--

the True Vine--

the Light. 

I am eager to be in the presence of God. 

Today, while I live life in the dust of earth and the angst of human strivings, 

I will practice the presence of God. 

I will recognize that although I am sinful and I will fail, 

I will set my heart on things above and not on things of this earth. 

I will intentionally incline the eyes of my heart to seek Him, 

to hold Him, 

to love what He loves and 

to serve as He served. 

And then, when my strivings of life are through, 

may He open His mouth and welcome me into His glorious and radiant presence. 

<><tce