Mindful Reads: Restarting and restoration, emphasizing hope and renewal
Revelation 21:5, “I am making everything new!” feels deeply personal when you think about the times when you’ve needed that fresh start. Maybe it’s after a tough breakup that left you questioning your worth or a job loss that made you feel like you’ve failed. Perhaps it’s the weight of years of strained family relationships, or simply waking up each day feeling stuck in the same cycle of frustration and regret.
I think about the times when I’ve felt like I’ve hit rock bottom—whether it was the exhaustion of trying to meet everyone’s expectations or feeling like I’d made one too many mistakes to bounce back. This verse reminds us that God doesn’t see us as a lost cause. He steps into those messy, broken parts of our lives, the parts we’d rather hide, and says, “This isn’t the end. I can make this new.”
For someone struggling to rebuild after divorce, this verse is hope that love and wholeness are still possible. For the parent who feels like they’ve failed their child, it’s the promise that God can restore and heal those bonds. For anyone battling addiction or the shame of bad choices, it’s a reminder that God’s grace doesn’t just cover the past—it transforms the future.
I’ve seen this renewal happen in small ways, too. A friend who thought her life was over after a business failure found herself starting a completely new career she loved. Someone who lost everything in a fire shared how rebuilding her home brought her closer to her neighbors and even her faith. And then there are the quieter moments—like finally finding the courage to let go of bitterness after years of holding onto hurt.
When God says, “I am making everything new,” it’s not just for some distant future—it’s for today. Whether it’s rebuilding after a loss, forgiving ourselves or others, or simply trusting that tomorrow will look different, this verse promises that renewal is possible, no matter how far gone things seem. And it’s deeply personal because we’ve all had those moments when we desperately needed to hear it.