Trustworthy and True

Revelation 21:3-5 (NRSV)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them and be their God;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

We should always pay attention when we read, in the Book of Revelation, the command to write something down.  It is a way of saying, “This is really important.” In these verses today we have that word write, but even more is added, “these words are trustworthy and true.” It is as if God is wanting to underline and bold these words saying they are important and trustworthy and true.  

The problem is that we are not completely sure what promises are being highlighted by this command. It could be the pronouncement, “I am making all things new.” Others suggest that the emphasis should be on the promise that God will dwell among us. But I believe it is wanting us to hold on to both. 

If God is trustworthy and God’s words are true this means that God is living with us and among us right now and is at work daily making all things new. These are not promises that we have to wait for them to happen some day but instead a call to live into this reality today. 

How do we do this?  For me it means living each day with intentionality.  I start each morning reminding myself that this is a new day.  I am separated from what has happened and I try to block from my thoughts, at least for a few moments, any fears I might have concerning what might happen in the days and weeks to come.  I remind myself that as I start this day, it is a new day, a blank slate filled with possibilities and God is with me. 

With that thought firmly in mind I then look forward to this day. After all, God is with me, I can trust in that promise and I know that if I remain open God will give me many opportunities to relate to others with kindness and love.  God might even use me to be a bridge of hope to another who is going through a tough time.  

And what about those days when things are really tough, that what has happened and what is happening weighs us down? Knowing God is with me making all things new means that the worst things that happen are never the last thing, because God is living among us and promises us new life now and eternally.

Let us pray:

Holy one, remind us daily of your presence.  Remind us daily that this is a new day, a gift that you have given us.  Let us embrace it and celebrate all the joy and love that will come our way.  Let us be mindful of all the ways we can share this hope and joy with others.  And if this is a challenging time for us, remind us you are with us, holding us and will see us through this moment until we find the new that you are already working at bringing about for us either now or eternally.  AMEN.

This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.