Which path will mankind go?
Sometimes the Lord places a picture in our hearts long before we understand it. Over time, those images grow clearer, inviting us to reflect, to listen, and to choose the path that leads toward Him. What follows is a meditation I wrote years ago—now gently polished, but still carrying the same conviction the Spirit stirred in me then.
I have had two pictures of our future in my mind for some time now, and those pictures are becoming clearer to me. Two separate paths will lead us to two separate results. One path will lead to destruction, and the other will lead to peace and serenity. I believe God is giving us—both collectively and individually—the decision of choosing which path we will take.
The Bible talks about a new heaven and a new earth. I see that this could happen in two different ways. If all of humanity chose to receive the Living Water and become One with God in Christ Jesus, then Satan would be defeated. He would have no more control or influence over us. In essence, there would be a new heaven and a new earth.
If we continue down our present path, then I believe God has no choice but to destroy everything and create a new heaven and a new earth. The choice is up to us.
Isaiah 65:17 (KJV)
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
In studying this verse, I discovered several things. We cannot tell if the new heavens and new earth are being created now or if they will be created in the future. Some translations render the phrase as “I will create,” while others translate it as “I am creating.”
The original Hebrew word translated as “new” is chadash (khaw-dawsh’), which carries the meaning of rebuilding, renewing, or repairing. So we cannot say for certain whether God is repairing the present creation or preparing to replace it entirely.
Other passages that support these thoughts appear at the end of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi.
Malachi 4:4–6 (WYC)
4 Remember ye the Law of my servant Moses, which I commanded to him at Mount Sinai…
5 Lo! I shall send you the prophet Elijah, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come.
6 And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers toward their sons, and the hearts of the sons toward their fathers, lest perhaps I come and strike the land with a curse, and destroy it.
(If you are a believer, then you have been adopted into the people of Israel.)
Here it says, in a nutshell, that if peace is not restored, then God will destroy the earth—as He did with the flood, sparing only those in the ark. This time, Scripture tells us the destruction will be by fire. I believe the Lord is still giving us a chance to change our hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Living Water.
Revelation 22:14–17 (CEB)
14 Favored are those who wash their robes…
15 Outside are the dogs, the drug users and spell‑casters…
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel…”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” … Let the one who wishes receive life‑giving water as a gift.
Ezekiel 11:19–21 (CEB)
19 I will give them a single heart, and I will put a new spirit in them…
20 They will be my people, and I will be their God.
21 As for those whose hearts continue to go after detestable things, I will hold them accountable…
Closing Prayer:
Father God, soften our hearts and draw us toward the path of renewal. Give us the courage to choose Your Living Water and the wisdom to walk in unity with Your Spirit. Restore peace within us, around us, and across the earth You created. Make our hearts flesh again, and let Your newness begin in us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
