Revelation 21:1-8 (NRSV)
Read Revelation 21:1-8 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 21Then 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. Verse 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Verse 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; Verse 4he 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." Verse 5And 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." Verse 6Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Verse 7Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. Verse 8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Devotion
The home of God is among us mortals. And this God-with-us is shaking up the old systems, pulling us out of our ruts, making all things new! Those tears in which we thought we might drown? They’ve been replaced by the River of Life. Dive in, splash around, drink deeply, swim with exuberance in the new waters. Your baptism surrounds you and buoys you up. God is here!
Prayer
We are grateful you are here with us, Wonderful Life-changer, and that you bring us fresh water, new life. Help us to joyfully experience, honor, and contribute to the new creation you are crafting.