Day and night the four living creatures never stopped saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.” Rev. 4:8

As much as I look forward to Heaven, the assignment of saying, “Holy, holy, holy…” day and night, 24/7, in Heaven did not look very exciting to me. Then I heard E. V. Hill explain: “The reason the four living creatures are praising God day and night is because every time they bow and say ‘Holy, holy, holy’ they lift up their heads and look, and God has done something new AGAIN(!), so they bow down and praise Him again! He never stops doing something new!”

The people of God are marked by the set of their face. They look to the future, and they look with anticipation. Implicit in fellowship with God is the promise that the best is yet to be. Of course, there are those in the Old Testament who did not see this. The writer of Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun, that what has been will always be, that all things are more wearisome than one can express. (Ecc. 1:8-10) But this is a minority voice in the Old Testament.

-The psalmist tells us of a new song the Lord has given him. (Ps. 42:8)

-Isaiah writes of new things to be learned and a new name (Isa. 42:9, 62:2) and of a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:26).

-Jeremiah proclaims a new covenant and new mercies every morning (Jer. 31:31; Lam. 3:22,23).

-Ezekeiel tells of a new spirit and a new heart (Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26)

The New Testament picks up this theme and promises:

-a new birth (I Per. 1:3)
-a new life (Rom. 6:23)
-a new self (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10)
-a new attitude (Eph. 4:23)
-a new commandment (John 13:34)
-a new and living way (Heb. 10:20)
-a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15)
-a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 2:1)

It should be no surprise to us, after we have considered all of the above, to find the concluding word coming from God Himself: “See, I have made all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) Apparently God never quits making things better because His word comes as the last word in human history. He is the God of the eternal renewal.

But what about the doleful words from the author of Eccesiastes? He may be a keener observer than we thought. He says there is nothing new under the sun, and he is right! The true newness never comes from us, from the natural. It comes from beyond us, from the God with whom we have the privilege of walking. Our response has to be: Everything is new under the Son, for it is He who makes all things new.

As I look at these last days of 2022 and into the future of 2023, my thoughts here are mixed with Dr. Dennis Kinlaw’s entry from his Jan. 2 meditation in the book, This Day with the Master. Dr. Robert Coleman, Professor of Evangelism at Asbury Theological Seminay, often said, “The best is yet to be!” In this crazy world of conflict and evil, Isaac Watts said, “He rules the world with truth and grace, and He makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2023!