1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. NKJ

One of the dearest words in a Christian’s vocabulary is “tomorrow.” While the rest of the world has to plan, has to insure against sorrow and harm, has to face the future with trepidation for what can’t be controlled, the Christian can rest in the knowledge that we have a “living hope,” an inheritance that is protected by the power of Father God Himself, reserved in heaven for us!

As Americans, it’s so easy to get caught up in the “planning” frenzy of our society. The holiday season brings with it the focus on making resolution for the new year. And yet, what we have, what we can cling to, is the knowledge that “tomorrow” is already planned for us! Because “tomorrow”—the true tomorrow of eternity—is bringing a culmination of all this suffering in the reality of heaven.

I think that one of the reasons Americans are infatuated with fiction (literature, television, movies) is because, unlike reality, fiction brings with it conclusions. In fact, if you were to ask many people, they love a movie with a happy ending! We like endings because they bring resolution to the conflict, bring answers to the questions, bring happiness to the heroes.

If you think about it, stories with happy endings are based on the idea that we can have heaven on earth . . . which, of course, we all know is impossible. But the good news is that there is heaven! That while there isn’t heaven on earth, there is heaven in life because of our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, because He died for our sins, paid the penalty of death for us.

The fact is, that regardless of what we plan, regardless of what we anticipate, regardless of what we fear there is a “tomorrow” coming that, for the Christian, means a cessation of all the struggles and a reconciliation, a reunion with the One we love best!

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, 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 heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 NKJ)

The “tomorrow” we seek—the lack of worrying, of anxiety, of stress, of hurting, of struggling—is coming for us as believers! Our commission now is to persevere in our faith, trusting the Lord that the “tomorrow” is coming when He Himself will dry the tears from our eyes and establish us as His people in the New heaven and new earth!