New Beginnings - Pt. 10

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:1-5 ESV).

 

For the last few days, we have looked at God’s work of renewing his people and all of creation. We have seen how sin introduced struggles and pains into the human experience, and how God in grace gives new life to all who trust in Christ’s finished work of salvation. We have briefly mapped out the New Beginnings that God has provided through Christ. My prayer is that you have been encouraged and motivated in your journey. Today as I close this series, I want to show the final step and what the finish line looks like.

 

Thinking about what I might write for this devotional I began to think about “finish lines.” I remembered one experience watching my granddaughter, Faith, run one of her cross-country races in high school. We tried to attend them all, though that was not always possible. The picture I have attached is just one of those races where she was close to the finish line. As you may be aware, these races are difficult by design. Not only are they a bit longer than other track events, but they are mapped out across varied terrain. You can see the determination on her face to finish. What is not pictured in this photo is the joy and satisfaction when she crossed the finish line.

 

In the closing chapters of the Scripture, God gives us a glimpse of our finish line in life. All things are made new. God’s new creation is better because of what we won’t experience anymore: death, mourning, crying, pain, deception, shame. Even the threat of the sea, the source of much evil in the Revelation visions (cf. Revelation 13), is no more. Eternity is better too because of what we will experience. The new creation is a place full of life and energy: heaven is pictured as a city that is not “up there” but “coming down” here. Most important, God is there. For all who follow Jesus and trust in him, nothing could possibly be better. We don’t simply long for a reunion with loved ones or for an eternal vacation, but for the opportunity to live forever in the presence of our Creator and Redeemer. God is making all things new. And in Christ we can be included in that process. And no matter how difficult the terrain, or arduous the race, we will all finish!