All things made new!

Our lives are broken in many ways.  Sometimes our hearts are broken, our health is broken, or our finance is broken.  Our democracy is broken, our Governments are broken, and our systems are broken too.  In every situation, we long for restoration and renewal.  Revelation 21 begins with this remarkable statement: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away ..." We have come full circle in the Bible.  Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."Revelation ends with a New Heaven and a New Earth.  Rev 21:5-6 contains a beautiful promise, "… I am making everything new!” Our broken world will be made new one day!  Our present sufferings are very small compared to the future glory, which puts everything in perspective, enabling us to persevere through suffering (James 1:2-4).  But what does this mean to me today? 

I believe the key is in what Paul says in 1 Cor 13:13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."  While the love of money and worldly pleasures will increase our brokenness, love for God and others (Mt. 22:37-40) will point us in the right direction.  It will increase our faith and give us hope that everything will work out for good in the end (Rom 8:28)!   Faith and hope are different.  Faith has to be upon God, who is able to do all things, and this fact should fill us with hope to carry on amidst trials.   Hope involves trustful anticipation, particularly regarding the fulfillment of the promises of God.  We live in a broken world, broken by the sin of Adam and Eve.  God has promised a new heaven and earth, but many things are outside our control now.   We cannot change anything.  We can only change our thinking, perception, and how we choose to respond to situations so that we can be healed and restored even amidst trials.  The Bible says, "…the just shall live by faith"(Hab 2:4).  The NT authors have quoted this verse because it is so vital (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38)!

My friend, when our focus is on God and His Word, the Lord is there with us in our situation - Jehovah Shamma!  And His Presence changes everything for good.  It increases our faith and gives us hope that it will be okay; that is how our deliverance works today!  May the Lord renew our lives today!

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