THE END THAT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING

By: Pastor Flávio Macieira - 2025

Day 5 of the "The Anchor of Hope: Navigating Uncertain Times with an Eternal Certainty" series.

Imagine a builder who has dedicated his entire life to constructing a magnificent cathedral. He has faced sun and rain, accidents, lack of resources, and moments of deep discouragement. He has laid each stone with effort and purpose. Finally, dedication day arrives. The last scaffold is removed, the doors swing open, and light floods the interior, revealing the beauty of the work. For the builder, that moment is not an end, but the glorious beginning of the purpose for which he labored: the cathedral will now be a place of worship, celebration, and encounter for generations. Our life is this construction. The difficulties are the rainy days, the trials are the accidents. But our hope is not just in finishing the work, but in the glorious "dedication day" that awaits.

Throughout this week, we have anchored our hope in the resurrection, found purpose in the pressure, remembered our heavenly citizenship, and learned to wait actively. All of this points to a final destination, a day when the Builder of the Universe will unveil His final masterpiece. The Apostle John was given a glimpse of this inauguration.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven... I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:1-5 (NLT)

This is the finish line of the Christian faith. Notice that our ultimate hope is not "escaping Earth to go to heaven," but seeing heaven come down and unite with a renewed Earth. It is the promise of God's presence dwelling with us as intimately and tangibly as possible. It is the end of all the distance we felt in Psalm 13.

And in this new reality, the four great curses of human existence are revoked forever: death, sorrow, crying, and pain. The most tender and personal promise in the entire Bible is that God Himself "will wipe every tear from their eyes." Every tear you have shed in this life—of grief, frustration, fear—is seen, counted, and will be personally wiped away by the hand of the Creator. No pain is in vain. No wound will be left unhealed.

The final declaration from God on His throne is the summary of our anchor: "Look, I am making everything new!" He doesn't say, "I am making new things," but "I am making all things new." He will not discard creation, but redeem and restore it to its original glory. This means that no pain, no injustice, and no suffering we have experienced in this life will have the final word. God's newness will. This is the end that's only the beginning.

Your Next Step of Faith: As a final act of our journey, let's anchor a present pain in this future hope. Read Revelation 21:1-5 out loud. Think of a pain, fear, or loss that still hurts your heart. In your journal, write a short prayer of hope, ending with this sentence: "Lord, because of Your promise, the pain of [mention your pain] will not have the final word. Your newness will."

The Soul Mirror:

1. How does the picture of the New Creation and the promise that God will wipe away every tear change the way you see the losses and pains of this life?

2. Of the anchors we've explored this week (resurrection, purpose in pain, heavenly citizenship, active waiting, new creation), which one has strengthened your soul the most?

3. After this 5-day journey, what does it mean to you, today, to have "The Anchor of Hope"?

Let's end in worship and anticipation.

God of all hope, thank you for this journey. Thank you for giving us an anchor that cannot be shaken. We look to the future not with fear, but with joyful expectation, for we know that You are making all things new. We long for the day when there will be no more crying or pain, and when we will dwell with you forever. Until then, may this living hope sustain us, purify us, and propel us. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Our hope is not in the absence of storms, but in the certainty that one day God Himself will calm the sea forever.

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