We Know The End; We Win!

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (NRSV)

I read a story once about a man who lived in Hawaii. He loved football and being in a different time zone sometimes knew the score of the games, but he would videotape them to watch at his convenience. He would yell, holler, get depressed and mope during those parts of the game when his team was losing. It would get to his wife until finally one Sunday she said, "Honey, you know who won; why do you act like you lost?" The point of the story was about our faith and how we live it. We have the book. We've read the book (or should have!). We know who wins. We, who are in faith and relationship with God, win. The writer of Revelation saw the vision of the new heaven and the new earth and wrote it down for us to have. And yet, some of us live like we lose. For all eternity. We don't!

Here's what today's lesson teaches us: The old will pass away. It usually does; but it is replaced with something new that will not pass away. There will be a wedding celebration where God marries the Church. The new place will be the home of God and we as mortals will be invited to live in it. God will live with us and we will be God's people. There will be no tears, for the reasons we've had here on earth to cry will be removed. There will be no more death. The great separator has been vanquished by Jesus, so the motives behind the crying and weeping will cease to exist. No more mourning. No more crying. No more pain. There will be a king seated on the throne and this King will make a declaration: "I am making all things new!" He will also declare that those things that He ordered John to write will be trustworthy and true. Then, that will be it. Jesus will declare that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We win.

So, then, how should we live? We should live as victors. We have the results in and we come out okay. There will be no reason to scream, holler, mope, be depressed and whatever else it is that we do while we think we've lost it all; God wins and so do we! Live like it!

PRAYER: Dear Alpha and Omega, help me to live my life in a way that shows that in You I have won. Give me a stronger faith to declare and make true that which is Yours to share with others. This I pray in the precious and powerful name of Jesus my Lord and Savior, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde