Revelation 22:3 NIV
"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."
Have you ever wondered what it will be like to celebrate a New Year—or a new beginning—with Jesus in the new Garden of Eden?
This thought is where the joy of the New Year rises in my soul!
Read with me Revelation 22:1–5:
“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.”
How is your soul when you read about the Kingdom that God has prepared for those who have chosen to eat from the Tree of Life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? My soul leaps for joy! What a Joyous New Year and New Beginning that day will be. (John 10:28; Revelation 21:1–4)
My friends, if the Lord has permitted you and me to live through another year in this physical realm, let us celebrate the victory we have in Jesus. My friend, I started saying “Joyous New Year” instead of “Happy New Year.” Why? Because the New Year may not be a happy one for many, as life’s storms still rage after our souls. But one thing I know for sure: no matter what trials come, those who remain faithful to Jesus as their Lord and Savior always carry joy in their souls. (James 1:2–4; John 16:33)
Happiness is attached to things that are fleeting and temporary. But joy is the deep reassurance of our anchor in Jesus Christ, knowing that He promised our momentary trials are temporary because He has a new City and a new body waiting for those who do not give in to the lies and deception of Satan. (2 Corinthians 4:17–18; Philippians 3:20–21)
My friend, I pray this New Year will be the beginning, or the continuation, of the Water of Life described in Revelation that you and I have access to through Jesus Christ until we are taken to our eternal City. There, we will stand in the original purity God always intended for us to walk in. Let us continue to learn who our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is, and how we can prepare to be in that City where the water of life surrounds us—not death, sickness, hatred, division, or any impure spirit.
Have a Joyous New Year in the Lord, my friends!
