Hope for Creation
Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1–7
Reflection: When we open the book of Revelation, it is easy to get lost in the beasts, plagues, battles, and judgments. I think they help remind us that evil is real and that God takes sin seriously. But judgment is not God’s final word. Chaos always clears the way for renewal, just as the flood led to a covenant and exile led to return. Revelation 21 gives us an incredible vision, a new heaven and a new earth, where God dwells with us. A powerful reminder that the God who spoke the seas into being and placed the stars in the heavens does not abandon His handiwork. HE RESTORES IT!!
If you’ve ever stood in awe of creation, a sunrise, the sound of waves, the purring of a cat, or the smell of fresh rain then you’ve tasted a whisper of what God has in store. Creation points us toward the Creator. But creation is also broken. Pollution, disease and injustice are crippling our communities. This is not how it is supposed to be. But Revelation offers hope far beyond the broken world. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught that salvation is not just for people, but for everything. Romans 8 tells us that all creation groans for redemption, and Wesley believed that even animals will share in God’s renewal. The God who loves you also cares for the earth beneath your feet, the oceans, the forests, and every living thing. This hope should change how we live now. We can’t just throw up our hands and wait for heaven. We should be living as Easter people who join God’s renewal right now. When we plant a tree, feed the hungry, bless our pets, recycle, comfort the sick, or stand for justice, we are previewing the new creation. Environmental care, acts of mercy, and holy living aren’t just things we do they are signs that God is already with us. To me the true beauty of Revelation 21 is not golden streets or pearly gates, but the promise that God will dwell with His people. Not just live nearby, but dwell, fully present, fully known, never leaving. That’s intimacy. That’s home. And in that home, every tear will be wiped away. Cancer and diabetes gone. Depression and anxiety gone. Poverty, injustice, and war gone. Broken relationships restored. Every sorrow will be undone. This is our hope: not abandonment, but renewal. Not fear, but restoration. Not destruction, but life. And because this hope is sure, we can live boldly, love deeply, and care faithfully for creation today.
Consider This:
- Where in creation do you most clearly experienced the presence of God?
- How will you join in God’s renewal this week, in creation care, relationships, or acts of mercy?
- What brokenness in your life or the world do you need to turn over to God’s promise of redemption?