Tuesday, September 22, 2026

For the longing that waits for creation to be healed and God’s presence to fill it.

He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 22:1–5

A tree whose leaves heal nations confronts you with a question: do you expect God to repair only your private life, or the world your sin and suffering have wounded? The promised healing reaches outward. It covers peoples, streets, bodies, and the ground beneath your feet.

Your hope often shrinks into managed optimism. If you can curate news, routines, and plans, you try to keep grief at a distance. That is a fragile refuge. It cannot remove the curse, and it cannot bring you into the presence of God. You need more than improved conditions. You need the source of life.

The river flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The future is therefore not a repaired world emptied of its King. At the cross, the Lamb bore the curse. The risen Christ will return, and his presence will fill creation with life, light, and fruitfulness. Hope ripens toward a healed creation, where the Lamb is present.

Will you bring your longing out from managed optimism and set it before the returning Christ, whose presence is your life?

Hope ripens toward a healed creation, where the Lamb is present.
Prayer

Lord Jesus, fix my hope on your returning presence and the healing you will bring.