Revelation 21:5 — “Look, I Am Making Everything New!”

As I felt these words resonate in my spirit, a sense of anticipation began to grow, “Look, I Am making everything new!” New is something we all might be needing right now. Many of us are all too glad to fold up the things of this past year and reach for whatever “new” God has prepared for us. At least initially! But often, letting go comes with unwelcome discomfort and unwanted pain.

“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.'”
Revelation 21:5

In these last couple weeks, surgeons have removed cancerous, damaged, or malfunctioning portions from both my husband and my bodies. These procedures came not by choice, but out of necessity. Honestly, however, I feel they are symbolic of more significant things we both need to have removed from our lives. With confident hope, we rest in the Great I AM to do His infinitely beautiful work within us, despite the agony of the process.

Though many prophetic voices sense a “new word” for the year ahead, I’m instinctively drawn to cherish the “last word” God desires to speak over the season behind.

Self Denial

The first thing God speaks to my heart points to the removal of all the “self” things I insulate myself with: self-sufficiency, self-effort, self-righteousness, self-centeredness, self-protection, and self-confidence only being a few. Oh, how these ugly “selfs” disfigure and disable me from growing into my full potential in Christ.

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”
Luke 9:23-25

Everyone comes into the world self-centered and grows in their determination to maintain that stance. But God calls us to something more — something better. He invites us to deny ourselves — not to debase us, but rather to bring us into Christ-centered freedom and confidence.

In these verses, Jesus gives us a three-point action plan. First, and most important, is the denying of self, pivoting to become Christ sufficient. He welcomes us to be Christ-driven in our efforts, righteous in and through Him, sheltered under His protection, and possessing an audacious boldness. Now that’s living full and free! The second instructs us to “take up (our) cross daily.” Not for random moments when we feel especially inspired, but daily embracing elements of suffering. Then, and only then, He invites us to “follow Him.”

How quickly we recite our commitment to follow Jesus, while refusing to deny ourselves or carry any cross. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way!

This doesn’t just sound hard, it feels harsh — agonizingly harsh. Every cell in our mortal bodies cries in defiant resistance, hoping for an easier way.

Cast Off

Before we close this chapter, God calls us to cast off the disfigured remnants of yesterday. He welcomes us into the new season ahead without the heavy limitations of things that no longer serve His, or our, purpose. These things don’t necessitate the hands of a Master Surgeon to radically remove them, but, if necessary, He lovingly will.

Let’s consider a few:

• “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]” (John 15:2).
• “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
• “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully] (1 Peter 5:7).

Let’s be honest with each other. We all long to “cast off” any unfruitful, unproductive, and unnecessary baggage that “entangles” us, keeping us from reaching our full potential. It is the process that causes us to recoil and shy away. Removal involves change. Discomfort and pain often accompanysuch change.

For both my husband and I our surgeries became critical necessities for our lives to resume. Don’t our spiritual lives matter far more? God sees the defective things long hidden to us. He loves us far too much to leave us crippled and dysfunctional. Longing for us to be set free, He announces once again, “Look, I am making everything new!”

With open arms, He reaches toward us, “Cast it all upon Me!”

Into the Promise

The people of Israel couldn’t enter God’s promise until they first left the confines of Egypt. The same holds true for us.

“…We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and God powerfully intervened and got us out of that country. We stood there and watched as God delivered miracle-signs, great wonders, and evil-visitations on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his household. He pulled us out of there so he could bring us here and give us the land he so solemnly promised to our ancestors.“ Deuteronomy 6:23

Do you relate? Do you feel like God is literally pulling you out? Oh, my dear friends, do not despair. He isn’t finished! He is bringing us in!

The same miracle-working God works within us. Through Him the Pharaoh of sin and shame must loosen its grip and let us go to worship at the feet on our Lord and Savior. Through Him, He brings freedom and promise.

God has for each of us more than we can imagine today. He sees beyond the present pain-filled process to the purpose-driven promise He holds for each of us. May we believe and see, if but for a moment! May we hope in HIs promise to us. “Look, I am making everything new!“

“All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.”
Psalm 30:4-5 MSG

Shared Joy

It is with tears I write, feeling not just the shared joy of what is ahead but the shared agony with those who are destined for eternity but walk earth’s pathway. We weren’t made for this — for the here and now. We were created for eternity. Everything in us cries for release — to escape the suffering of earth’s confines and be liberated from flesh’s demands. But in these moments, God works His perfect work in and through us.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-11

As we wait together with patience for His coming, He whispers to our tender hearts again, “Look, I am making everything new!“

Hold on, precious one. This isn’t the end of the story — yours or mine. This is only the beginning — a new and glorious chapter.

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