True Paradise

“Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” Revelation 21:3-4

The sun was warm, the sky a soft cornflower blue and the ocean sparkled with a thousand diamonds. I dug my toes into the sand and embraced the beauty and peace around me. Oh, I thought, “If only I could stay here forever, that would be paradise.”

But as I sat there gazing at the swaying, dancing ocean, I wanted to be there. I wanted to experience firsthand, the feel of the water on my skin, and the buoyancy of the sea as I floated upon it. So I rose from my sandy paradise to walk into the breaking surf.

After acclimating to the water temperature and pushing through the rolling waves, I found myself swimming in the sparkling diamonds I had observed from the beach. It was glorious! I thought, “If only I could stay here forever, that would be paradise!”

But as I lay relaxing in the gently rocking ocean, my mind began to wander, with the rumbles of my tummy:  teriyaki chicken, grilled shrimp, and sautéed mushrooms came to mind. My peaceful floating paradise wasn’t enough, I wanted more. I saw the Hula Grill in my mind, nestled close to the beach with their big grass umbrellas and live music and suddenly I was no longer content. I began to swim back to shore.

As I swam, I pondered my fickled musings. Why was I not content? Was there a true paradise somewhere for me? As the answer to my question glided gently into my mind, I smiled with anticipation.

Of course we will never be fully in paradise until we see Jesus face-to-face. All these beautiful moments on earth are just a glimpse, a feeling, a taste of what heaven will be like.

And when we arrive and stand before the Lord, we will say, “Now this is truly paradise, if only I could stay here forever”, and Jesus will say, “You will! Welcome to paradise.”

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how we long for paradise with you. Thank you for the moments on earth that show us a peek of what heaven will be like. Help us continue to pursue a deeper relationship with you that will make paradise all the sweeter. We love you Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For further reading: Revelation 21