The Plumb Line: All Things New

My sister-in-law, Wanda Lou McCauley, has personal understanding of the verse, "Behold, I make all things new!" (Revelation 21:5) Wanda went home to be with the Lord on December 21, 2007, and indeed, to her God has made ALL things new!

Can you imagine going to sleep and waking up with a new body? Can you imagine the glorious witness of knowing first-hand how God releases us from a body of pain and frailty to be set totally free to walk with Him on the streets of glory?

"Behold, I make all things new!" Wow! The very thought of what Wanda experienced just a few days ago fills my heart with excitement. One day we, too, will understand just how "new" God makes all things when He calls us home from this wilderness journey. Those of us who confess Jesus Christ as Lord will one day shed these old bodies and take on gloriously new bodies, walk the streets of pure gold in newness of eternal life with our Beloved.

Although we are rejoicing over Wanda's homegoing, there are others who are experiencing a different kind of "new" … life without the presence of a loved one. For instance, my brother, Tom, is experiencing "new" as he goes home to an empty house, looks in the bedroom and sees an untouched bed. He gets up in the morning to experience silence and loneliness. His experience of "new" is not at all like his wife's but the experience is "new" nonetheless.

But, there is good news—just look at the opportunities of "new" which lie ahead for him.

Tom has the opportunity to learn God's grace from a different perspective! New! New perspective! He has the opportunity to understand how God works through His Holy Spirit—the Comforter. When discomfited, Tom will experience the Comfort that only God can give. When filled with grief and pain, He will experience the peace that passes all understanding. When he experiences lack, He will see provision. When he experiences emptiness, He will be filled. When his grief is overwhelming, he will find compassion. When his life seems worthless and meaningless, God will remind him that He was called from his mother's womb to fulfill a purpose on this earth that was meant for only him. He will find satisfaction.

The guarantee for these "new" things is signed in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as "Guarantor" of an eternal covenant between God and those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose. (See Romans 8:28)

We don't have to go through the loss of a loved one in order to experience the "new". All that's requires is that we enter into covenant relationship with Christ. All these benefits (and so much more) are available to all of us who are in Christ … "newness" of life, "new" levels of contentment and fulfillment in Christ, "new" opportunities to see the hand of God work in our lives. More importantly, however, we can find "new" in fulfilling opportunities of serving others.

With the new year here, what kind of "new" will you look for in the months to come? What kind of "new" will you experience? What kind of "new" awaits you?

Why not establish a set of "new" goals, "new" direction, and "new" endeavors for 2008? Don't wait for "new" to happen to you … begin to make "new" decisions that will have an eternal impact on your life and the lives of others.

"New" can be a blessing. It's all in our perspective. Wanda is experiencing eternal "new" while those of us left behind have "new" opportunities to touch someone else's life with the "new" that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

"Behold, I do a new thing!" Let God do "new" in your life by reaching out and doing "new" for others, to others, and even (when necessary) in spite of others.

Pray for Tom as he goes through the days of grief and mourning. Pray for Wanda's son, Christopher, as he learns to go through life without a mother who loved him so deeply. Pray for Wanda's grandson, Connor, who knows she is with Jesus but wonders when she will come back. Pray for the family as they feel the pain of loss of a loved one. But as you pray, thank the Lord for giving Wanda a warm welcome as she entered her "new" eternal home with Jesus Christ.

It's a new beginning! "Behold, I do a new thing!" There are many new's awaiting those of us who are "in Christ" if we'll just look for them. And, if you don't know Christ, today is a "new" day of opportunity to confess your need of a Savior, repent of your sins, and begin a "new" journey in the security of the Lord's loving care. Feel free to contact us and we'll be glad to help you get started in a "new" life with Christ.

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD." (Psalm 40:3 NIV)