All Things New

Behold, I am making all things new. These words are spoken by Jesus to John, author of the book of the Revelation, in chapter 21, verse 5 (ESV).

As we begin a new year, most of us take time to reflect on the events of the past year. I know I do. We’ve all had to deal with lots of trying days during this C-19 virus. The continuing lock-down and mask-wearing have worn us out.

ALL THINGS NEW

We could certainly spend hours lamenting all the bad things that happened during the past year. But look at that verse. It’s present tense. Jesus says He is making all things new.

We heard a sermon on this lately. Notice the next part—ALL things new.

This is clearly a testament to how things will be in Heaven. In the sermon we heard, we were told Jesus will be making everything new every day. New clothes, new songs of praise, new crowns, new robes, new shoes. Will we wear shoes? That old spiritual seems to think so, and I don’t know about you, but I can get into the thought of a new pair of shoes every day. And think—they won’t hurt! Glory!!

Here on earth, for now, the best we can do is to pray to see our lives in new ways with new spirit eyes. Hear songs of praise with new ears. Read our Bibles with new minds and new understanding.

BIBLE READING PLAN

My husband and I read our Bibles through each year. Now, I must tell you, this is a new thing for us. We just finished our second time through, chronologically. It has been such a blessing. With each reading, we discovered new messages—things we’d not seen the first time through. We plan to do this again this year, but this time, we’re reading on our own schedule and not one dictated by anyone else’s agenda. We want to take time to really dig and learn more than we did the first two times through. It may take us two years or more to get through it this time, but that’s okay.

See, we’re beginning our new year with something new.

We’re spending the end of this year putting together our reading plan and schedule. By January 1, 2022, we’ll be ready to start in Genesis. If you’d like to join us, let me know. I’ll send you what we come up with. If you’d like, we can even create a Zoom meeting with you to talk about what we’ve learned.

Whatever Bible plan you choose for 2022, I pray you will see and understand it with new eyes and a new and right spirit (read Psalm 51: 10).

From our home to yours, Happy New Year. May you be blessed beyond your wildest hopes.

 

Blessings, y’all!

This isn’t the best quality but considering they did it remotely, it isn’t bad. I learned this when in high school. At the time, I had no idea who Brahms was. Truly, I didn’t. Years later I would come to sing his gorgeous Ein Deutsches Requiem many times, singing the soprano solo more than once. I hope this lovely setting of David’s words from Pslam 51 blesses you.