God Speaking

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

When I was a little girl Christmas presents were often new clothing and I can remember the delight of opening one of those mysterious boxes and discovering a brand new sun dress or swim suit (we lived in Australia and Christmas was celebrated in the heat of the summer). The other exciting time of receiving new apparel to wear, was back to school which happened in Australia at the beginning of the year. Along with those new shoes and new blouses and tunics were those pristine, not a speck of dirt, no creases, no dog’s ears, brand new exercise books! I loved the start of the New Year and would very carefully in my best writing record my name on each book, vowing to myself that this year there would be no splotches, no scribbles, no erasing just a perfectly preserved, completed book at the end of the year. Of course I was never able to achieve that lofty goal and while I was thinking back on those days I thought about this New Year of 2015 that is somewhat like my childhood exercise book. This New Year lies ahead unblemished, no mistakes to spoil it, so we make all sorts of resolutions, just like I did as a child, that this year would be the one that would not be marred in any way, a year lived to its fullest with no regrets. Deep in our hearts we know that so ever serious we are in our promises, events out of our control will happen, resolves will weaken, and because we are human we will fail in some areas.

BUT this is the good news! One of the incredible promises our Heavenly Father makes to us is that he makes all things new. When we are overcome with regret and sorrow, misery or shame at how we have failed to keep our promises, He will be at hand to change our whole outlook again. He will revive our spirits!

“I will give then 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)

If the year ahead is looming with apprehension and doubts the Lord can disperse those in a very positive way and change our outlook dramatically just in this simple way;

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:3)

Joyfully singing praises to the Lord has an amazing effect on any feelings of depression. He also offers help to be rid of that old mind set;

“… to be made new in the attitudes of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:23 – 24)

If I made a big smudge on my new exercise book, I was reminded of my mistake all year, but our loving Heavenly Father is so forgiving that when we do err, if we come to him, he banishes our mistakes to the yesterdays and presents us with a new day, a new beginning, with new opportunities to love and to serve him and even helps us put on that new self.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22 – 23)

Related Articles:

• Make New Year’s resolutions everyday (mustardseedbudget.wordpress.com)