"I Am Making Everything New!"

It’s amazing the difficulties we sometimes have trusting the Lord. While we’re usually too pious to admit it, there are times when we become afraid that God can’t be trusted to really watch out for us and take care of us, especially in a crisis or after a particularly traumatic experience. I remember an old Phillip Yancy book entitled, “Disappointment With God,” in which he explored the reality of our faith (or lack thereof). There are other times when our doubts and fears are a result of attempting to control our lives (or the lives of others), only to find that a life outside of the Lordship of Jesus is only filled with frustration and futility. During those times, we need to stop and remind ourselves that nothing is too difficult for God, and that he loves us with an everlasting love.

It’s important to remember that our first revelation of God is the Creator. When the Spirit of God moved, God simply spoke a word, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Light really had no option at that point in time – if God said, “Let there be,” it had to be! God brought everything into existence from non-existence, from nothing. It was simply the power of God’s word that resulted in creation. Whatever God wants God gets. All God has to do is speak a word, and it will come to pass. Our first expression of worship is, “Blessed be God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19). The wisdom of Solomon was summarized in the words, “Remember your creator” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). When prophesying words of comfort to Israel Isaiah reminded them, “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (40:27-29). They thought the Lord wasn’t paying attention to their plight, that something had hidden their situation from God’s view. They needed to be reminded that the Lord is the Creator. “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King” (Isaiah 43:15), and “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” (45:6-7). Even loyalty to human relationships was based on an understanding of God as Creator. “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?” (Malachi 2:10; see also Matthew 19:4-5). Sin and idolatry begin by taking our eyes off of God as our Creator. “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25). Even in difficulties, “those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19).

God can be trusted – all the time! God cannot only be trusted to exercise wise Lordship in our lives, God also promises to create new things in our lives. Preserving us in the context of the old may be great, but what about the possibility of God creating something entirely new, of God’s Spirit moving and God’s Word coming, bringing into existence out of nothing a new and beautiful thing. The prophets loved to reflect on the new things God was promising to create. “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). “The Lord will create a new thing on the earth” (Jeremiah 31:22). The apostle Paul thought of our life in Christ as a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old has gone! The new is here! It’s not just about preserving the old; it’s about imagining the new! In fact, Paul later said, “What counts in the new creation” (Galatians 6:15). The whole reason for Jesus coming into the world was clearly stated: “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:15). Our “new self” in Christ “is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10).

When Jesus revealed himself and his ultimate kingdom purpose to John on the Isle of Patmos he did so with these words: “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5). In that vision God said, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (21:3-4). We’ve read the end of the Book and we are clear that God wins, that Jesus has already won, and that you and I can only win. In fact, the only way we can lose is to throw in the towel, run off the field, and quit – only to discover that at some later point God sends one of his “angels” to show us the way back.

So rejoice! Let God give you a fresh vision of himself, “high and lifted up,” the Creator of all things, your Father and your Creator! He does all things well and he is making everything new – including you and me. We can rest in his love and trust that if we will stay close to him and listen to his voice, his new, good and beautiful thing will be accomplished in and through our lives. “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).