NULL The City of God

The City of God

Dec 10, 2008 11:15 AM EST

Read: Zechariah 14:10-11

"Never again will it be destroyed." (v. 11 NIV)

We can say many things about life: Life is hard! Life is good! It's a Wonderful Life! Advertising is full of such "Life is . . ." claims.

Here's a biblical version: Life is a journey. From the call of Abraham ("Go . . . to the land that I will show you") to the exodus, to the exile, and even to Jesus' great missionary mandate ("Go and make disciples of all nations"), God's people are always on the move. Sometimes they travel as fugitives or prisoners, sometimes as ambassadors of God's good news.

In the book of Hebrews this journey metaphor can suggest the struggle against sin, or the quest for faith, or our final destination—the "city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). In that place, God will give you peace. Your battle against sin will finally be won. Like Hebrews, Zechariah sees that the end of our journey is a home in a secure city defended by God.

Is your life made easy by this hope? Probably not. Sin and its terrible effects still discourage us. But this is one thing you can count on—God has a place for you where peace and joy never end! That city is for all God's people, and it's just around the next turn, at the end of the journey.

Prayer: Guide me home, great Savior.

Used with Permission