“Wolves and lambs will live together. Leopards and goats will nap beside calves, lions, and young horses. A little child will shepherd them, because childlikeness is the culture of God’s Kingdom. Harming, being hurt, and destruction will be eliminated forever.
Zion, the whole earth, and all creation will be transformed into the new heaven and new earth. Knowing the Lord, and the glory of God, will fill everything just like salt water fills an ocean—which is completely”. Paraphrase of Isaiah11:6–9
Dear Lord Jesus, since you are the “Yes!” to every promise in the Bible, we worship and adore you for guaranteeing Isaiah’s hard-to-imagine vision of our perfect, peace-filled forever. Really Jesus? We’ll never again say or feel, “Lions, tigers, and bears, Oh my!”
But as much as we love the vision of life in the new heaven and new earth as a giant petting zoo, Jesus—immeasurably more so, we crave the Day when we will know and love as you deserve. No more merely “appreciating” or “greatly admiring” you—but flat out, full-bore, unfiltered, whole-being delight in you.
And secondly, Jesus, we will fully love each other as you perfectly love us. The New Command (Jn.13:34-35) will no longer be a command to obey but a joy to celebrate. All contempt, resentment, and meanness will be expelled by the wideness, long-ness, broadness, and deepness of your love (Eph.3:18-19).
Personally, I love dreaming of the Day I will never get irritated, be controlling, finish other people’s sentences, remember failures, or under-believe the Gospel again. Hasten the Day, Jesus, and help me and my friends love with a little more childlikeness and unselfishness this very weekend. So Very Amen.