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"Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the City of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High."
(Psalm 46:3-4)
(Quick prayer request: please pray for me today, as I preach at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention here in Austin at 11:00AM. Thank you!)
Waters roar, mountains shake, trouble and more trouble. The psalmist was not writing in 2020 but in 1000 BC. No doubt, in this world, we are going to have really bad days. You may be thinking, "Why is that?" We live in a fallen world. When sin entered the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, life changed forever, not just for Adam and Eve, but for all of us. Have you ever noticed that sin makes everything worse? Anger and unforgiveness lead to divorce; unfaithfulness leads to heartbreak; worry leads to stress-filled days, and I could go on and on. Until we leave this life and are with God in heaven, we will have to tread through some crummy days, or maybe even long horrible seasons… but eventually, we will get through to the other side.
But think about the other side! Ponder anew with me the river of life and peace flowing freely, untainted through the City of God. The psalmist uses the word "glad". Our world could use some "glad" right about now, don't you think? There's plenty of sad, mad, and bad, but how about some glad? A friend sent me an email last week in which he wrote that life has some gut-punches, but there are also some blessings. So true. Right now, I am walking with and praying through some really hard days with some friends of mine. I can think of no greater heartache than to see your child suffer and be unable to do anything to make the pain go away. Their pain is the kind that can cripple you, were it not for the hope of God, the peace He gives, and the place assured for His children: the City of God.
The opposite of sin is righteousness, or as the Psalmist says, "holy". The tabernacle, the dwelling place of El Elyon, God Most High, is holy. No sin can enter His presence. In heaven, there will be no heartache or pain, and the reason is, there will be no sin. I long for heaven. I want to serve the Lord to the best of my ability until He takes me home. But I still have a way to go in my walk with Him and in my sanctification. For example, I found myself getting annoyed and impatient at the restaurant the other day because the new employee was struggling with our order. I was impatient as I waited on my coffee. I did not say anything (fortunately), but my heart was just not right. Can you relate?
The City of God, the dwelling of the Most High God--wow, what a glorious place that is! I have my reservation; do you have yours? Jesus is preparing a place for me and all His followers, according to John 14:3, and one awesome, bright, and glorious day, He is Coming Back! "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)
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