All Things New

 All Things New

Matthew 6:9-13           Revelation 21:5-7

God created everything as an act of love. He created us to live in relationship with Him and serve as His partners. We rejected His rule and, as a result, sin was introduced into the world.

But, because of Jesus, our sins can be forgiven and our relationship with God can be put back together. Eventually, Jesus is going to return to finish what He started and make all things new. When He does, death, sin, darkness, and evil will all be defeated once and for all.

Then, we will live forever with God in a place where there is no more pain, sadness, or suffering. This is what we are looking forward to. The day when God’s Kingdom arrives in full and all of creation is flooded with His goodness.

Pray…

Lord, when I feel discouraged by all the crud happening in the world, remind me that you’re coming back. Help me to remember that you are going to take every wrong thing and make it right. That when you return, everything is going to become better than new and we will get to live with you forever. Until that day comes, help me to serve humbly as a part of your plan to bring some of what you have planned for the future into the present. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

    And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Revelation 21:5-7 NLT

Consider…

Jesus is the alpha and the omega - the beginning and the end. He is the true ruler of the world and He has invited us into His kingdom. A kingdom where love is the law of the land and justice and righteousness reign. As His people living on earth, He has asked us to live according to the values of His kingdom and not the cultures of our world. Because when we do, we get to be a present day preview of His future kingdom. When we don’t, we aren’t. But, no matter what, God is going to finish what He started. The question is, will we play our part or simply sit on the sidelines?

Knowing that God’s plan to put the world back together will be successful, how does that change the way you think about the part you play today? Does that give you more confidence or less? Why? What small things can you do today to make a difference?

Practice…

Pray to God by submitting to Him. Ask Him to show you the ways you can be a part of bringing His promised future into the present. Then, submit to His direction and take a step to do those things. No matter how small, nothing we do for Him is ever wasted.

As you do, imagine you are talking to God face-to-face. Because, at its most basic level, that’s really what prayer is: talking to God.

When you’re ready, pray to your Father using Jesus’ words, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy… don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9,13 NLT

Listen…

Create space to experience God’s presence by getting quiet, getting alone, and asking Him to speak. Start by setting a timer for five minutes.

Next, ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted, because you will get distracted, bring your focus back to God by repeating the first words of this prayer: “Our Father…”

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you got to spend with Him, then head into your day looking for opportunities to better serve Him and serve others.