Reconcile and redeem

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how God is going to make everything new and His amazing ability to redeem and reconcile anything and everything! 

 I've been in awe of how God plans on redeeming creation - in Revelation 21 , John writes that "I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and first earth had passed away.."   This is following the second coming of Jesus but it just astounds me. I think this earth is beautiful and gorgeous NOW, even though it's fallen even though there is sickness and death upon it. And He's going to make a new one. But something I had never really thought about was the 'new heaven' - Why I wonder does God need to make a new heaven, that is where God already dwells but  He's going to make a new heaven for us to spend eternity there with Him! Wow!

Along the same lines, God is able to reconcile everything that we give to Him  - recently He has been doing just that in my own life, as I surrender things that hurt to let go of - yet hurt more to carry - He has been able to start a miraculous healing where I know otherwise I would be bitter, grumpy, sad about it I can rejoice because well...God is good! It has been really neat in my own life to see how God brings it about and I'm excited to see what else He is going to do as I give things to Him and turn from things that I know haven't been in their right place. 

 And He can do this in all things, whether that's relationships with others, our attitudes, the use of resources, talents and time. God WANTS to reconcile and redeem what we give to Him, to help return it to what it should be - in heaven and on earth- for His glory!

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus],  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.Colossians 1: 19-20