“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

There are many things wrong with our present world. Evil is all around us. Just a daily exposure to world news makes that evident. Even when we live with faith and trust Jesus we are aware of temptations which war against our faith continually. Loved ones suffer and die. Cemeteries exist in every community and hospitals remind us of the frailty of our human bodies.

We don’t just look at the way things are, though. Believers look forward to the way things will someday be. Imagine a world in which not only are we pure but our entire environment is pure. Imagine a world in which everything we see is holy because of the overwhelming and holy presence of God. A world is coming that will be uncontaminated by the presence of sin.

Thank God for the apostle Peter, who lived in the evil days of the Roman Empire could see beyond the world in which he lived and could remind us of the coming day. While we are painfully aware of the sad state of affairs around us we look forward to a new heaven and new earth. No one understands the complete description of that new world but we know two things. Jesus is there and righteousness will reign! That’s really all we need to know to give us an enduring hope for tomorrow.