God wants to be where we are!
We often talk about wanting to get to Heaven, but do you know that God wants to be here, on Earth, with us? No, not this sin-corrupted, decay-subjected world. I’m talking about a new Earth, as mentioned in the book of Revelation:
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
We have an advance
Patient as He is, God is indeed eager to return to His children, as any parent would be! Ever since man became separated from God in the Garden, it has been God’s earnest desire to be reunited with us! Each time that something got in the way of this, God took action. For instance, when fallen angels began to corrupt the gene pool by (forcibly) taking human women as wives, and having children by them, God sent the Great Flood. The word of God says:
Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
This is often misinterpreted as referring to the lifespan of mankind, but this couldn’t be accurate, as many have since lived long past this milestone. In fact, Noah himself lived for 600 years before the flood came, and Shem also lived to 600 years of age!
So what did God mean?
That he would reduce the number of years until the flood, to just 120. He wanted to wrap things up quickly, so He could keep some pure children alive. Even before He came in the flesh, Jesus showed up many times in the past, as “The Angel Of The Lord,” as Melchizedek, and even as “The 4th Man In The Fire” with the three friends of Daniel. If you haven’t noticed, God doesn’t like anyone messing with His children.
This is why, in the fullness of time, God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us (as a species), and make the way open for all who would believe on Him, to be saved (individually). But before Jesus would die on the cross to save us, He spent 33 1/2 years among us. Why? Not only to teach us, but because He wanted to experience life among us. One of His very names, Immanuel, means “God with us.”
Now that Jesus has died, been buried, risen, and ascended to Heaven, He hasn’t left us alone. He’s sent His Spirit, who, being a spirit, can dwell in all of those who believe – simultaneously! Think about that! God wants so much to be with us, He didn’t just wait until the end of the age, where everything will be perfect and the conditions just right for us to live with Him again. No, He has made the way clear for us to be vessels fit for Him to dwell in right now! And He does!
If you don’t yet know Him, don’t worry… it’s easy. Just say “Hello Jesus, welcome in.” It really isn’t complicated. If you believe on Him, and you believe in His finished work, confess Him as Lord and Saviour, and you will be saved – immediately, and eternally.
And when it’s all said and done, and this world is through, you will be there to witness this glorious declaration:
23 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.