Craig Clouston

 The Chrysalis

May 28

Behold, I make all things new.

Revelation 21:5 (kjv)

Sitting alone in the woods, contemplating her life, Bryanna wondered how she

could have slipped so far from the life she’d envisioned for herself as a child.

Only now did she understand the destruction she’d caused and realize her

inability to atone for her mistakes. “Lord, if You’re really here, now would be a

good time to show Yourself,” she said aloud, thinking there was about a one in

a billion chance of Him showing up.

But to her utter amazement, He appeared in the next moment. As she sur-

veyed her surroundings, Bryanna noticed something hanging from the small

limb of a nearby bush. Moving closer, she realized with wonder that she was

looking at a chrysalis. A caterpillar had woven its cocoon recently, and had

begun the metamorphosis to its current state. Now, a butterfly was fighting to

emerge from its protection to begin a new life.

She knelt and watched as the struggle culminated with the butterfly’s

emergence. It hung from its transitory dwelling, drying its wings in the bril-

liant sunlight. Then it flew away. As she watched it light on flower after flower,

she heard God whisper, “You too can begin a new life, Bryanna. It will require

a bit of struggle, but the change can be as dramatic as this insect’s you just

witnessed. Would you trust Me to make things new?”

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How sweet is the knowledge that God makes things new each time we bring

our pitfalls to His throne, laying them before Him, asking forgiveness! And

how many times have we, like Bryanna, made a mess of things, only to seek

God’s intervention? It is beyond human comprehension how God can forgive

the vile things we have done and then forget them. But He does, and He will.

And the life we are able to live following repentance is a life unmarred by past

sin.

Today’s text speaks of God’s loving mercy. It is powerful enough to recre-

ate our lives, making us brand new. But only if we accept His Son as our Savior

and come asking forgiveness. If we do this, He promises we will be changed!

Prayer

“Lord, change me from who I am today. Transform

my life and make me new. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”