I make all things new
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”Revelation 21:5
Reflection
Near the end of the Bible, the One who sits on the throne makes a declaration that sums up all of Christian hope: "behold, I make ALL things new". Pay close attention to what He says — and to what He does NOT say. He does not say "I make all NEW things" in the sense of discarding the old and creating others from scratch, throwing away what existed. He says He makes "new" the things that already exist — He restores, renews, transforms. It is the difference between replacing and redeeming. God is not going to erase your history and begin another; He is going to take your history, with all its scars, and make it new.
This is a hope for everything in us and around us that seems old, worn, spoiled, lost. Worn relationships, dreams that grew old, ancient wounds, a life that seems beyond repair — over all of that resounds the promise: "I make all things new". The word "all" leaves nothing out. There is no situation so deteriorated that it is beyond God’s renewing reach. He specializes in taking what the world has already discarded as finished and making it new. The God of the Bible begins in a garden, crosses the whole mess of human history, and ends by restoring everything — not in spite of the ruin, but passing right through it.
Note that this total renewal is the guaranteed DESTINY of all creation. In the previous verses, it is the same scene in which God wipes away every tear and ends death, weeping and pain. The "I make all things new" is the promise that the final chapter of history is not decay, but restoration; not the old winning, but the new triumphing. This gives meaning to everything we endure now: we are not walking toward nothing, nor toward ruin, but toward a complete renewal that is guaranteed. God’s best did not stay in the past — it lies ahead, and it is guaranteed.
But notice this promise is not only for the distant future. The same God who will make all things new at the end already begins to make new things NOW, in the life of whoever surrenders to Him — "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The total renewal that will be completed on the last day already has a down payment available today. And see the order God gives to John: "write: for these words are true and faithful". God wanted this promise recorded, so you could cling to it. If today something in your life seems old and beyond repair, keep this word as an anchor: the Author of history promised to make all things new, and He does not fail. What seems finished in your hands can still be made new in His.
Prayer
Lord, over everything in me and in my life that seems old, worn and beyond repair, I declare Your promise: You make all things new. You did not come to discard my history, but to redeem it, scars and all. Begin today Your work of renewal in me, as a down payment of what You will one day complete. I believe: Your words are true and faithful. Amen.
Put it into practice
Identify something you consider "old and beyond repair" in your life (a relationship, a dream, a wounded area) and hand it to God with this declaration: "You make all things new — renew this too". Trust that the renewal can begin today.
To reflect on
What in your life have you considered "finished and beyond repair" — and how does it change to know God promises to make ALL things new, including that?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).