S48P3 – The promises to come: a new security
Rev. 21:23-27
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
When they came to this country, they had very little. It was a foregone conclusion that they would have to live in an area that was not too nice. Their youngest, the only daughter, told stories of evenings filled with fear. She recalled not being able to afford a lock on the front door and her mother staying up at night praying for God to keep them safe. She even recalled seeing angels standing guard by that door. For this family, it was an incredibly difficult time. Even though they knew that God would keep them safe, there was a concern for all of the reasons why they needed to ask for God’s protection in the first place. Those prayers were only necessary because danger existed. One day, we will have no dangers from which to seek protection.
Our current world has many things to concern us daily. If we are not under threat from spiritual warfare, we are under threat from disease, hatred and physical violence. It is a glorious thing that we are able to seek God for protection when such circumstances come about, but what a more glorious thing it will be when those circumstances are no more. Yes, we commit to serving God and honoring him even when danger prevails, and we suffer hurt or pain. One of the reasons we are able to sustain this is that we know that today’s threats are only temporary. God will usher in a day, an eternal day, when there are no more threats. He will bring a day when we will simply rest in safety and security knowing that all that remains is love and light.
In the here and now, we must rely on the protection we find in the shadow of God’s wings. In the world, there are demons and other dangers; there is evil that works to tear us down. We cannot deny that forces that fight against the will and work of God surround us and attempt to influence us daily. Imagine a place in which those forces do not exist. Imagine a place in which there is nothing battling against us or against our God. Imagine a place in which all of our concerns are replaced by peace and tranquility. That will be a wonderful place, and we can be sure to arrive there according to God’s promise. Father, thank You for the security and protection that You provide in the here and now, and thank You that one day we will be eternally secure in You.