The Start of Something New
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19 NIV
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.” Isaiah 40:31 NAS
“See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them and reduce the hills to chaff.” Isaiah 41:15 NIV
“See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” Isaiah 42:9 NIV
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” I love Proverbs 3:9-10 because it reminds us that when we put God first in our finances, he does something new. New wine begins to flow. New crops appear at harvest time. Hey, this sounds like a great way to stimulate the economy, doesn’t it?
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Jeremiah 31:31 NIV
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:3 NIV
“Sing to the Lord a new song.” Psalm 96:1 NIV
There was something new and refreshing about Jesus’s ministry. Some embraced the newness while others did not. He spoke in practical tones about pouring “new wine into new wineskins” (Mark 2:22), gave his disciples a new command to “love one another” (John 13:34), and during a meal with his closest followers hours before his crucifixion he offered them a “new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20).
Do you need a fresh start in life? A second chance? The apostle Paul says that a follower of Jesus Christ is a “new creation” where “the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The writer of Hebrews speaks of a “new and living way” found in Jesus (Hebrews 10:20).
Fast forward to the last book of the Bible and you’ll find John’s vision of the apocalypse including “a new heaven and a new earth” and Him who sits on the throne saying, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Whew! There’s more but that’s enough to get our juices flowing, don’t you think?
Most of us like new things. We get excited about new clothes, new cars, new houses and new furniture in our houses. Every day we have the opportunity to accept or reject new ideas, plans and visions.
Every four to eight years we elect a new president that provides new leadership through a new administration. New faces, new ideas, new promises and new policies flood our Nation's Capitol. When the new leadership in Washington starts talking about new taxes everybody groans, except those who write the legislation but then don’t pay their taxes (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
Some of us enjoy meeting new people. The Joneses are getting to know some new neighbors who moved in across the street.
What does all this have to do with you? Ask yourself this question: what new thing is God up to in my life today? Start by embracing each new day as a gift from God and the start of something new.
Add a Comment