The news was retched that night. Father killed his five kids, his wife and then shot himself. Two children died in a car crash. A house fire took several lives. Convenience store robbery ended in the clerk being killed. This was broadcast in less than five minutes. I had to turn off the t.v. As long as I can remember I have been very sensitive to pain, suffering and tragedy in the world, and news like that could send me into dark places that I shouldn’t be.
The unfortunate part of this news is it is similar to news around the world where more and more tragedy is heaped on: wars, hunger, genocide, disasters, and so on night after night. Sometimes it seems like there is never an end to the wretchedness of man. How sad, a life that was meant to abound in the Father’s love, liberty, peace and joy be instead, due to sin, demoralizing to our spirits.
But we are looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards, where there will be only goodness. TLB (lit. in which righteousness dwells) 2 Pet.
I am grateful that the Lord put this scripture into the Bible to give me hope of what is to come. When we are in our final home, the earth will be new- no longer destroyed by environment disasters and negligence due to man; no longer cursed by man’s sin. All the grief in the world will one day end. Suffering will stop. Physical pain will cease. Tragedy will no longer occur.* These in and of themselves are great enough, but I like that the Lord added another part.
The Lord says righteousness will dwell in our new heavens and earth. Some synonyms of righteousness are: virtue, morality, decency, justice, blamelessness, uprightness, honourable, honest. Nothing without these characteristics will be allowed in our final dwelling place. So finally we won’t hear news of murder, crime, disaster, or accidental death. Greed will no longer oppress our fellow man. Hatred of differences will not culminate in genocide. Covetousness will not lead to starvation. War will not exist. It might be difficult to imagine a world like this, but we are promised it WILL happen.
All glory and honour to the only One who can make this happen.
Jehovah God, we thank You for Your promise.
*Rev. 21:4, 5, 8, 27; 22:3