Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
—Revelation 21:1-5a
Welcome to 2015, a new year! I remember sitting with my husband, Rick, and our 18-month-old daughter Charlotte welcoming 2000—a new century. The 2000s seemed so futuristic. And here we are, 15 years later. My, time flies!
The word “new” immediately brings to mind one of my favorite Scripture passages, from Revelation 21—one that Rick and I had read at our wedding. As you and I enter a new year, I think about the newness God brings to our lives—a newness we experience now in part, as we look forward to complete renewal.
I think about the new Heavens and the new Earth that will one day replace our broken world, the newness for which all creation groans and longs. I think about the day when the consequences of the fall are reversed, when chaos and sin disappear with the sea, when sorrow, pain, and death no longer mar our lives. I think about a God who reaches down to wipe away our tears, who shines so brightly that we no longer need the sun. I think of finding total fulfillment in His presence, worshipping the Lord day and night.
Rick and I had this passage from Revelation 21 read at our wedding because we knew that our marriage foreshadowed the day we would enter the new Jerusalem, a bride dressed for her wedding to the Lamb, and that Jesus was the truest love in each of our lives. God gave us our marriage in part to draw each of us closer to our Lord. And it did.
Now, Rick—and many of our loved ones—experience the newness of worshipping in the presence of God, of being transformed to His image, because they see Jesus face to face (1 John 3:2). One day, we will join them. One day, everything will be new.
Stonecroft staff and volunteers have the privilege to share this wonderful news with women where they are, as they are. We get to tell them about this new life they can enter now and forever. We can tell them that the Prince of Peace came to rescue them, has prepared their pure white wedding gown, and wants to wipe away their tears. As we share the Gospel story, we can tell them how it ends, with the new Heavens and the new Earth—everything broken, fixed. That’s why Stonecroft exists—to help women have a restored relationship with the God of the Universe because Jesus lived, died, and rose for them.
Lord,
I am so moved thinking about these things, about what you did for me. But tomorrow I will go out and carry on at work and at home, concentrating on the tasks at hand, forgetting these fantastic truths. Please help me to remember the newness you brought to me. Please give me a broken heart for those around me who need the renewal that they can find only through your Son, Jesus. Put someone in my path with whom I can share Your story, so it can become her story—so that she can start anew with you. Amen.