All Things Made New*

 

Scripture: Revelation 21:3-4 (ESV)

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Devotion:

                These verses, like a soothing ointment, heal the weariness of our spirits and illuminate the path of hope for our grieving hearts. They speak directly to our present, a time when the fractures of our fallen world are yet to be healed, when the distance that sin has placed between our Creator and us is still a chasm.

Envision, with eager anticipation, a world unmarred by sorrow, untouched by loss. Picture a reality where the sting of death is but a distant memory and the tears that have stained our faces are wiped away by the very fingers of God. This is the future that awaits us—a future where the presence of God is as tangible as the ground beneath our feet, as intimate as the air we breathe.

But this promise is not a distant dream, it is a present reality. In Christ, we experience the first fruits of this future. In Him, we encounter the God who “tabernacles” among us, the Savior who intimately knows our pain, the Spirit who intercedes with groans too deep for words. In our darkest moments, we are not abandoned; we are cradled in the arms of the One who has pledged to make all things new.

As we meditate on these verses, let us cling to this hope. Let us allow the truth of God’s future dwelling among us to shape our present reality. May it ignite and propel us to live as ambassadors of this coming kingdom, to bring solace to the brokenhearted, and to extend the love of God to those around us.

For the day is coming when the shadows will flee, and the dawn of God’s eternal day will break forth. Until then, we live in the assurance that the pains of this world are fleeting, but the joy of the Lord is eternal. Let us press on, dear friends, for our tears are not unnoticed, and our hope is not in vain.

Prayer:

            Lord, sin, illness, and death mar this old world. We can pray, but many times, our prayers are not answered in the way we would like. We beseech you, Lord, to be merciful to us and shorten the days until you return. We are weary and depressed when we look around us and see such suffering. Yet, we hold out the hope that the promises we find here in your word will one day come to pass, and the world will be once again the idyllic garden spot you created it to be. Come quickly, Lord, and save us. Amen.

*Created with AI assistance.