1 Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

3 For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.

— Colossians 3:1-4

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

— 2 Peter 3:10-13

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

The eternal new heaven and new earth may seem a pleasant diversion, but what good does heaven bring now in a world filled with conflict, injustice, relational struggles, and suffering? A right understanding of our eternal destination motivates us to live in a way that makes a difference. Our eternal home shapes our earthly lives for God’s glory and our good.

Peter summed up the importance of anticipating heaven in his second letter. He explained that because no one knows when the day of the Lord will come, we are to live holy and godly lives, looking forward to the new heaven and new earth, where righteousness dwells. However, going through the motions of life knowing we are on our way to a better place is simply not enough. Heaven motivates wholehearted commitment to holy and godly living now.