Good morning. It’s Monday, January 2nd, aka National Science Fiction Day.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Revelation 21:4

Today’s verse reads a lot like the ending of a superhero movie.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

Because it kind of is. God, the super-est hero, defeats the baddest bad guys of all time: death, mourning, crying, and pain.

And like how most movies have happy endings, so does this verse when it says, “for the old order of things has passed away.”

Let’s look at those last four words again: death has passed away. That doesn’t even need an explanation. That might be the coolest, coldest line in the whole Bible, killing death with death itself.

God personally wipes away every tear. Death doesn’t exist anymore. There’s no reason for mourning or crying because nothing is being lost. Pain is gone because the whole system has changed. The way life works now, with endings and decay, doesn’t last forever. A new order replaces it, where everything is made new and nothing hurts anymore.

For context the verse before says:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 (NIV)

And the verse after says:

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelations 21:5 (NIV)

Verses 21:3 and 21:5 basically say the same thing as verse 4 but in more detail. They show that God is with his people and is making everything new, which is why death, pain, and tears will end.

So here’s the takeaway: God is the ultimate hero, showing up to wipe away every tear, end pain and sorrow, and make death die. It’s happier than any happy ending and cooler than any superhero move you’ll ever see.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God, you are the ultimate hero.

Confession: I admit my fear of loss and pain.

Thanksgiving: Thank you for making all things new.

Supplication: Help me trust your promise that tears, pain, and death will end.

In Jesus name, Amen

“How He Loves” by David Crowder Band

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God