All of our lives are constantly shifting, shuffling, and reorganizing. You ever do do something that was just wrong and messed up? And then find yourself dealing with the pains and hurts of things you have caused? Whether clergy or non, we have all probably had such an experience.

In addition, I have attempted to go down roads that were not the path that I should be on. I have seen that some plans weren’t unquestionably right for me and some steps needed to be retraced. Oh yeah, we all haven’t always done exactly what we should be doing.

But in all of these things, I am happy that God not only uses our steps, but can also use our missteps for God’s glory.

I am not saying that evil and righteousness should be equally celebrated. No, we should never be happy that we have made poor decisions, but neither should we be totally discouraged or overwhelmed by our remembrance of these issues. Your past may not be something to emulate, but I am saying that God can even use and redeem and recycle even our misdeeds and use them to construct a monument to God’s glory.

Not New Things

I am reminded of Revelation 21 where John received a marvelous vision of the coming world where righteousness and peace reign. We see a “New Jerusalem” coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2). This is Jerusalem. Yes, you have heard of this place. Yes, you know of the glorious history. Yes, you know of the marvelous things that happened there. You also know of its mistakes. You know of times that God punished Israel. You know the history. It is an old entity.

But there is something different about this Jerusalem. It is a “New Jerusalem.” True, it is something we know about, for you know about Jerusalem, but it is different from what the readers knew about for it is called “new.” It was another manifestation of what we know. It is a newer understanding of what we held dear. It is still what we knew and love, but it is also new.

And how is it different?

The tears of the hurting are wiped away. Death is destroyed in this NEW manifestation. We are told that there is no more crying. (Revelation 21:4) You see it is Jerusalem, but it ain’t Jerusalem like you remember. It is a NEW Jerusalem.

Then the writer records the one who sat on the throne saying, “I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) It is not just Jerusalem that is new, it is all things that are made new. Everything is new. So in everything we can look for a little old because that One didn’t say that new things would be made. Not “new things,” but old things “made new.” No, we can expect to find the new in the old. We can expect to find the New springing fourth out of the old. No, it is not New Things, but making the things we already have New.

Today, I encourage you to look for God making new out of the old. Look at the same job that you are called to work. You may be able to find new springing forth from the old. Look at that family situation that you are in. Look for where God is bringing forth new out of the old. Look at your congregation and see that God is already working even now to bring forth new in the old.

God will make all things new, but the greatest blessing is that today, God is able and desirous of making us new. And by doing that, God can transform even the most mundane existence into a glorious future.