A Reason to Rejoice

Scripture:
"For behold I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness." Isaiah 65:17

Observation:
This world is broken. It is hard to observe it and come to any other conclusion. There is beauty on earth, but there is also a lot of pain. The sin of the world is evident. The depravity of man is hard to escape. Nothing is sacred, clean, or trustworthy any more. It is easy to allow the weight of this to wear me down as I realize the odds that face me as I determine to live the life to which God has called me. This verse reminds me that rejoicing and gladness are a gift that God gives to His people. What are some things that I need to rejoice in today?

Application:
The first thing that I need to rejoice in is that this world is not all there is. In Isaiah 65, God tells us that He has created a new place for us. A place where there will be no more crying. No more weeping. Baby's will not die. Old men will live on. Humanity will experience total peace. But that is not all. Even nature will balance out. Lions will lie down with lambs. Wolves with sheep. It says the beast of the field will eat straw like the ox. I have heard of streets of gold and other such things describing heaven, but honestly, they do not do much for me. But when I think of heaven in terms of Isaiah 65, I get excited. The only way I can really imagine heaven is to think of a perfect earth…. take all the pain, suffering and losses out of life on earth. No fighting. No tension. No death. No fear. No limits. No hunger. No loss. This is the reality for God's children. This is what awaits us.

The second thing I need to rejoice in is that I am one of God's children and my judgment has been taken away. I was born again based on my belief in Jesus being the Son of God. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus allowed me to become joint heirs with Him as one of God's sons. I live in peace everyday knowing that God's wrath is no longer towards me. There is no condemnation for me. I am a son. God loves me, not as an imperfect earthly father would, but as a perfect heavenly father. There are many things that I can't imagine about God, but this vision of Him I can. I was blessed with an amazing earthly father. Although he was not perfect, his love for me and our relationship serves as a great picture of what God's love for me looks like. No matter how bad I have messed up in my life, he has never stopped loving me and I have never stopped being his son. My relationship with my dad is one of my greatest earthly treasures. As much as I covet my relationship with my dad, my relationship with God is even higher. I can rejoice in the fact that my heavenly father loves me perfectly.

The final thing that I need to rejoice in is that I have an eternity to live. John 3:16 says that I have eternal life through Jesus. A life-time on a broken earth is nothing in comparison to an eternity in a perfected heaven. That is the ultimate of rewards. The things of this earth will pass away, but there awaits for me an eternity to spend in the presence of God, living in a perfected world. Every imaginable source of joy and pleasure will be available. Nothing wicked will be remembered. Nothing of harm will be found. Peace, joy, and fulfillment will be all that is known. Every good work that I complete on earth, will be stored up as a reward for me there. It is the ultimate of trust funds. An inheritance beyond belief. It is definitely a reward worthy of constant rejoicing and celebration.

Prayer:
I pray today that You fill my heart with reminders of Your goodness. I pray that you allow me to constantly rejoice in the fact that my best days always lie ahead of me. My life here on earth on its best day is only a pale comparison to the beauty that will be my life in heaven. My hardest day on this earth is merely a token price to pay for the eternal life that awaits me in heaven. My relationship with You is my greatest treasure. Help me to rejoice in that daily and to await Your return with eagerness.