God of This City

“Rome - the city of visible history, where the past of a whole hemisphere seems moving in funeral procession with strange ancestral images and trophies gathered from afar.” George Eliot (English novelist)

Rome is one of the most storied cities in the world. Its name conjures up mental images, mostly of ancient days. As Eliot described, few other cities can compete with its visible history. 

One such city was Pompeii. Living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii’s residents were used to earthquakes and seismic rumblings but apparently didn’t connect them to potential volcanic activity. In 79 AD, the volcano erupted, destroying the city and solidifying it for history. 

Another notorious metropolis was Sodom and Gomorrah, mentioned in the book of Genesis. Its inhabitants were so wicked, the city was annihilated in a fire-and-brimstone storm sent by God. Their demise mirrored Pompeii’s—rapid and total.

Cities are a reflection of their people and era. The Roman Empire’s reach was extensive, yet wicked. The excavated Pompeiian ruins reflect a city in the same wicked moral condition that caused Sodom and Gomorrah’s downfall. 

All we have to do is look around to see similarities in our culture today. The smoke is billowing from the volcano and the ground is rumbling. Unfortunately, like Pompeii and Sodom and Gomorrah, many in our world ignore the warning signs. As with past civilizations, God’s patience has an end. 

If you’re a Christian, you have the assurance of an eternal city—one inhabited by those who chose God’s path. Evil will not exist in this new city. 

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” Revelation 21:1-4a 

In the next chapter, John goes on to describe the city’s physical attributes Christians can look forward to.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations…The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him…There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-3,5

Rev. 21:15-21 describes more physical attributes including foundation walls decorated with every precious stone: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, and many more. The gates are made of pearl. The city street is pure gold, like transparent glass. 

I don’t know about you, but God’s promise of His eternal city lifts my heart and encourages me for the future. Meanwhile, I praise God for His provision of mercy and love in my life.

As we go to the Lord today, would you join me in prayer for our country—that God would bring revival and healing to our land? That people would recognize their need for a Savior? That we, as Christians, would do more to shine our light for all to see?

Please keep Betty and Tony in your prayers for employment and other unspoken requests. Pray for Courtney and Emily both battling cancer. Several requests have been made for depression and other mental illness issues, as well as difficult family situations. Karen Redding continues in hospice care with leukemia.

I ask that you pray for a little girl suffering with a seizure disorder. Also please pray for Steve Saint, a missionary who suffered a spinal cord injury with paralysis in an experimental plane crash. Doctors are hopeful for his recovery. Click here to read his story and listen to him discuss the crash and his unyielding faith in God. 

Add your prayer requests in the comments section or email me confidentially. God's heart breaks for what breaks yours. I'd love to hear praise reports, as well.

Our song today is "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin. There is no one like our God!

God bless,

Laura