According to the news report, the one bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom apartment located in New York city was on the market for a cool US$2.075 million and carried monthly maintenance fees of almost $1,500. It was only a year earlier that the seller bought the unit for $1.695 million, an appreciation of $380,000 during that time. For a 850 square feet one-bedroom apartment.
As I read the story, it occurred to me that interested buyers would be individuals for whom money was not a problem. Individuals like you and I could only dream of living in a place “on a casually plummy, townhouse-lined and tree-shaded block on the the Upper West Side of New York City” that “occupies the entire top floor of a handsome, turn-of-the-century, mid-block brownstone that’s just half a block west of the Museum of Natural History.” Must be nice! I tried to picture the “casually plummy” block of luxury townhouses in my mind, but had no idea if the image in my mind was anywhere close to the reality. It was then that it occurred to me that this apartment, no matter how luxurious, was nothing compared to what God has prepared for those who are His.
The apostle Paul echoed the words of Isaiah when he reminded the believers in Corinth: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV). Bible Scholar Matthew Henry puts it this way: “There are things which God hath prepared for those that love Him, and wait for Him. There are such things prepared in a future life for them, things which sense cannot discover, no present information can convey to our ears, nor can yet enter our hearts.” While most of us could never afford the home being advertised, we are all presented with a picture of a city called heaven that defies comparison with any place on earth. In the book of Revelation we are told of a river, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] down the middle of the city. On each side of the river there will be a tree of life, yielding twelve kinds of fruit every month. The streets will be pure gold, like transparent glass. The walls of the city will be adorned with every kind of jewel, emerald, onyx, amethyst, topaz, etc. There will be no need for a sun or moon, and no need for a temple or church. The presence of the Lord will be its light” (Revelation 21, 22). We cannot begin to imagine what this city and its environment look like.
One remarkable thing about this city is that all the money in world could not buy one of its mansions. These have been prepared by God “for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed]” (1 Cor. 2:9b, AMP). If you are one of those persons, a mansion, paid for in full, awaits you! If you are not, then securing your place in this city is fairly easy for “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9, KVJ). It starts there and it really is that simple. What are you waiting for? We just might end up being neighbours!
