This is a short meditation on our destiny, designed to produce a stronger eternal perspective so that we can follow Jesus more closely. The passage is:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 22:1-5 (NIV)
Close your eyes, relax and imagine yourself on the New Earth described in this passage. Even though we do not know what it will truly look like we can still use the biblical description, which is a vision and not a movie of the future, to imagine our destiny. Focus on the various images in the passages as you explore the New Earth.
- What do you see, smell, hear?
- What do you feel?
- What do you desire for your heart?
- What do you want to do there? Explore whatever you want.
- Ask Jesus any questions you have.
- What is it like to live on the New Earth? What does the community of believers look like?
- What will your relationship with God be like and how will that affect you?
- What will make you the happiest?
Next, accept the truth of your destiny into the depths of your heart and commit to maintaining faith in your destiny.
Next, commit to action. As you look back on your life on the old earth from the vantage point of the New Earth, how will you hope you lived your life? Think about your current trials and challenges; what do they look like in the context of living on the New Earth? How should you change how you view and deal with them? How will you think about any complacency you had? Ask yourself: How will I keep more focus on the next age so that it influences my life? Tell God what changes you are committed to making and ask him for help.
Finally, look at an image of the New Earth with a quiet and open heart for at least 60 seconds. Ask God to show you anything else he desires to show you about your destiny, or ask Jesus a question. If you receive an impression, then apply discernment and cooperate accordingly.
This meditation should help you better focus on God’s future blessings for you, which is essential for the Christian life. Make a note of how this meditation helped you, and repeat the meditation when you can, or remind yourself of this experience each day so that your heart is focused on matters of eternal value.
