All Things New
Well…it seems that through a really dry period of songwriting, God has torn back the veil for a minute. I hope it is for more than a minute, but if it is just a drop of inspiration in this crazy year, I will take it! It has been a busy, hard, and somewhat discouraging school year. That has led to not much songwriting, or time for songwriting, but a lot of longing for songwriting. In a time that I’m longing for things to be different, I feel like God gave me this song for me – but I’ll let you have it too :).
I woke up about a month ago, early December 2021, with strands of a melody, and maybe some words from Isaiah 41/42 floating around about how the former things have come to pass, and the new things have come. I made a voice memo while brushing my teeth, that was quite useless, but the melody stuck with me through that day and the next several, none the less. A few days later, I sat down with my guitar and the chorus arrived almost instantly, from Isaiah 41/42. “Behold the past has passed away. Behold the future taking shape. Our God has begun making all things new! Like rivers in a wasteland, like the sunlight breaking in! Our God is not done making all things new!”
It was really great to have that chorus, but then I wrestled for some time with…well, sometimes it certainly doesn’t feel like all things are new. And it kind of felt right to start the song with a minor chord. But, Romans 8 came to mind out of nowhere. And, it says, even creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. It certainly feels like a long period of waiting if Paul wrote that and here we are. But, at the same time, groaning in labor to give birth holds promise. It isn’t like we are groaning as a loved one deteriorates and then dies… it isn’t an ending. This painful stretching into something different – it is a beginning!
Then, my bro preached a sermon on what God’s plan is and how far reaching it is – he brought up 2 Peter 3 which says, “God is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, wanting all to come to repentance.” So, if this newness is slow – it is for OUR good (echoed by Romans 8!). God could make all things new without our repentance…it would just end in our destruction. And, fortunately/unfortunately, He will one day do that very thing. Those who have found newness of life through repentance and by Jesus’ righteousness will find not only themselves, but a world made new. Until then, we only see the glimpses of what He is doing, but can trust that he has justified us, is sanctifying us. So, this newness is here, but it is also coming. Kind of like the kingdom of heaven. Which I like to talk about.
So, maybe this song will make the new album. Maybe it won’t? But, either way, here it is!
All Things New
My soul, do you despair within me?/ Then come with all creation wait / If you listen, you can hear the groaning / Of a world in labor pain
But, oh, my soul, this is our hope
Behold the past has passed away / Behold the future taking shape / Our God has begun making all things new / Like rivers in a wasteland / Like the sunlight breaking in / Our God is not done making all things new
My soul, take notice of the slowness / Our God has chosen to use / He longs for all to find repentance / The means of making all things new
And oh, my soul, this is our hope!
The old has gone, the new has come! / This is the promise of our God / Every seed that has sprung up from the soil of His love will recreate the blessing of all things new