And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. — Revelation 21:1
When I was a teenager, my family and I lived in a small town near the mountains of North Carolina. That town was known for its love of its history. The people wanted things to remain the same and I will never forget that each time something new came into town, they would share how it was replacing something old.
It wasn’t that they wouldn’t enjoy the new store or restaurant. In fact, you could expect a line out the door for quite some time after it opened. It was the memories and the experiences that they had in that location previously. They wanted to remember the “good old days.” There is something to be said about those “good old days.”
As I get older, I certainly appreciate that point of view a little more. I cherish the memories I had when I was younger and the things of old. That said, I have a longing in my heart for something “new.”
I have a longing for a new home where I can sit and truly enjoy rest once again. I have a longing for a place that will help me forget the heartaches, struggles, and cares of this life. In this verse in Revelation, John was seeing the thing that I have never seen, yet I long for.
One day, we will all see the same thing that John saw. While we may be longing for our new home now, that home will soon become a reality for the Christian one day. All the cares of this world will pass away and we will not worry about those “good old days” anymore. No matter what you may face today, remember that new home that is coming one day for Christians!