He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” – Revelation 21:5
I don’t often think about the Revelation of John when it comes to devotions but as I prepared for devotional time for our mission trip to Puerto Rico, the words of the opening verses of Revelation 21 just popped into my head.
Looking back on this mission trip and others I have been on, I realize there is something about an intense focus of time, energy, and spirit on the work of God that draws my attention to the End of the Story.
Serving people in Puerto Rico with Kathy Stewart, Laurie Sillings, Paul Young, Henry Walters, Jeff McIntyre, and Mark Ernstes, I was reminded once again of the kingdom God wants us all to enjoy. Seeing a gleaming, new galvanized roof on the home of the four owners who had been out of their homes or suffered from water intrusion for over five months was wonderful. Being able to see and touch the labor of your hands knowing the difference it will make in someone’s life is a feeling that is impossible to fully capture.
But the most revealing kingdom moments happened not on a ladder or roof but in the invisible space where lives intersected. The new kingdom appeared as I was listening to tragic life stories. The new kingdom appeared seeing my fellow team members comforting someone. The new kingdom appeared when we were holding hands praying for each person we served. In those joyful, tear-filled moments invoking the presence of our Savior for those we served, there was “no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things had passed away.”
Serving people in need, those to whom Christ himself was most drawn to, is about as close as I get to catching a glimpse of the new heaven and new earth about which John writes. My prayer and hope for everyone who knows Christ as their Savior is that each and every one goes forth to serve those whom Christ served and experience firsthand everything made new.
– Mike Nuckolls
