The Perfect Day

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.

On a recent Wednesday morning, I saw a forecast that the weather would be a perfect ten out of ten on their rating scale. Naturally, I had to check it out for myself. I loaded my daughter into our pink jogging stroller to go for a walk and enjoy this so-called perfect day.

As I walked down the street beneath a row of maple trees, I soaked in every detail. Tree limbs were budding with infant leaves, their lime green color so bright it almost looked fluorescent. Birds whistled cheerfully, fluttering from branch to branch as if playing a game of hide-and-seek. A gentle breeze tickled my skin, sunlight danced through the trees, and the sky was a shocking shade of blue. It really did feel like the perfect day.

Have you ever experienced one of those days when the weather is so delightful you open every window to bring the glorious outdoors inside? Maybe you opt for a picnic dinner to stay outside longer, or maybe you let the kids stay up to enjoy the beautiful evening.

As perfect as days like this seem, though, we know all is not truly perfect in this world. Even when our surroundings are ideal, someone somewhere is trying to break out of crippling depression. Someone is trembling while holding the phone, listening to the doctor’s devastating diagnosis. Someone is barely holding on to hope as they break apart lies that have haunted them since childhood. For some, the so-called ten out of ten day is in no way perfect, and the beautiful weather seems more like a taunt than a promise.

In Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven, he writes, “The world as it was, and the world as it will be, is exceedingly good. The world as it is now, inhabited by humanity as we are now, is twisted. But this is a temporary condition, with an eternal remedy: Christ’s redemptive work.”^a The perfect day on earth does not even come close to the glory we will experience in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will dwell in the presence of God for all eternity.

One day soon, all who have placed their faith in Jesus will enjoy eternity in his perfect presence. What we see on earth’s best days is only a glimpse of the glory to come. And what we experience on the worst days is a reminder of what we have been saved from.

So when you experience a rare ten out of ten day, look forward to spending eternity with God on the new earth—exploring and fellowshiping, enjoying and worshiping him. At the same time, look in front of you and remember that although we are not there yet, God has abundantly provided beauty all around us—a reflection of Jesus, who is the only true source of perfection.

Word before World The best days we experience on earth do not compare to the glory of heaven.

Grow in Grace The next time you experience an ideal day, imagine the new heaven and the new earth and praise God for glimpses of glory that point us to eternity.