As I’m standing on the precipice of a new year, I sometimes feel anxious. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m typically filled with great hope. Yet as the calendar turns, I’m reminded that I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted. In fact, my own glaring flaws and inefficiencies stick out.
As I get sidetracked by all this, I entertain the thought that God will pass me over for someone new. A new year often means new things, and I’m starting to feel a little old. I know this line of thinking is wrong, but it still crosses my mind about this time of year.
Over the last few years, God has been working on me; challenging me to think differently. I’m finally seeing that rejection and abandonment isn’t what He’s all about. Instead, I understand that God wants His beloved children to experience transformation and renewal.
I think this truth recently came alive to me as I read Revelation 21:5. In this stunning passage, Jesus declares, “Behold, I am making all things new.” I once misread this passage, but now understand that Jesus isn’t making all new things. No, He’s making all things new.
Don’t let religion or our modern, cutthroat society fool you, God is still in the scavenger business. He gathers the broken pieces and puts them back together. As the Word of God declares, He’s not only going to resurrect our broken bodies, He’s also going to renovate this ravaged, war-torn Earth. God is the One who is positioning all things for renewal!
As this new year emerges, keep in mind that God has so much more for you, even if you have fallen short. Behold, He is still making all things new! {eoa}
J.D. King, director of the World Revival Network and co-pastor at World Revival Church, is writing Regeneration: Healing in the History of Christianity. King is a sought-after speaker, writer and author.