To God Be the Glory

I recently finished reading the book of Revelation. I'm going to quote a few verses and share a few thoughts.

Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Revelation 21:22-25 (ESV)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there.

How often, as Christians, do we read (or listen to) these verses and hear "someday there will be no pain and no crying" and we camp there, while missing the part that says "Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God." I believe that is the point of heaven; we will be with God. He will dwell among us. We will not need the sun and moon because God's glory will provide that light.

God is the supreme point of it all.

It is thoughts like these, six years ago, that caused me to examine myself to see if I was truly in the faith. I wanted heaven and I wanted pain to go away but I didn't want God above all else.

Do you treasure Him above all things?