The River of Life

Week 21, Friday

Lynette Ezell

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as a crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. . . . 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 22:1,4-5 (esv)

The Revelation the angel showed John is a book of hope. Revelation 22 depicts the glorious reward that is waiting for all who believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The nearer John came to the center of the city, the more like a garden it became, like the Garden of Eden. Heaven will provide what God intended for us from the beginning—the perfect place to live and the perfect company of the presence of God Himself.

Have you experienced a place so beautiful or fun or peaceful that you wished the person you loved the most was there to enjoy it with you? A couple of years ago my husband stood before the Sea of Galilee witnessing the most beautiful sunset he’d ever seen. He said the experience was breathtaking, thinking that Jesus had walked the same path, enjoying the same scene. He said that all he could think was how he wished I had been there to experience such an incredible moment with him. God wired us this way for a reason; we are social creatures by nature. One of the most exciting aspects of heaven will be not our new, glorified bodies or beautiful homes but the people we will see. We will be able to hear our loved ones laugh again, hold them in our arms, and look into their eyes. Our conversations will be lively as we tell them all that has happened in our lives since we last saw them.

In Matthew 22 the Bible describes heaven as a banquet. When the church is taken into God’s presence the Lord Jesus will be hosting a huge banquet for all believers. There will be plenty of people, plenty of laughter, plenty of music. There will be togetherness and conversation. This wonderful time will be a huge reunion for the people of God. Imagine how busy and lively eternity will be with all those billions of people reunited! And that will be only our first moments in heaven.

Lord, thank You for our glorious reward of heaven. I can’t wait to spend eternity with You and those loved ones who will be there with me. Amen.