"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings." ~ Lao Tzu
I've been studying the subject of New Beginnings for a series we just finished for the month of September at our local church. Of course, much like you, I know there are several scriptures in the Word of God about new beginnings. The revelation of that newness has really began to get down on the inside of me. God's mercies are new every morning. He doesn't have an, "I'm mad at you still today", attitude. Look at these scriptures:
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”— Revelation 21:5
GOD GIVES HIS PEOPLE NEW SONGS OF PRAISE.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” — Psalm 40:3
HE IS THE AUTHOR OF A RENEWED SPIRIT.
“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
HE MAKES NEW WAYS OUT OF THE WILDERNESS.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”— Isaiah 43:19
LIVING IN THE NEW IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” — Ephesians 4:22-24
HE’S STILL CREATING THINGS UNSEEN.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” — Isaiah 65:17
AND IN CHRIST, HE’S GIVEN US A FRESH START.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR FOR A FRESH START BECAUSE HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING.
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
“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”— Revelation 21:5
GOD GIVES HIS PEOPLE NEW SONGS OF PRAISE.
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” — Psalm 40:3
HE IS THE AUTHOR OF A RENEWED SPIRIT.
“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
HE MAKES NEW WAYS OUT OF THE WILDERNESS.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”— Isaiah 43:19
LIVING IN THE NEW IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” — Ephesians 4:22-24
HE’S STILL CREATING THINGS UNSEEN.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” — Isaiah 65:17
AND IN CHRIST, HE’S GIVEN US A FRESH START.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR FOR A FRESH START BECAUSE HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING.
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
I read a lot and unfortunately don't always recall where I read something. I save bits and pieces here and there for later use. I am getting better and noting where I got things and giving credit to whom credit is due. It's the right thing to do. But, sometimes I have been known also to give credit to the wrong person because they have said it, and not noted where they got it. We are all human and what we put in does come up. The more we put in, the more we put out. I pray you are putting lot's of God's word, and wisdom from others in. We all need to share with one another what we have. We belong to the same Kingdom and once born-again, we belong to the same family.
What happens to us individually changes our family dynamics. Read this story from the Bible about Joseph and his brothers.
Joseph was a teenage boy full of vim and vigor, and, quite honestly, it appears he was a bit of a show-off. His older brothers resented Joseph for being their dad’s favorite. But this didn’t stop Joseph from telling them he would someday rule over them and showing off his fancy coat.
In Genesis we see that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery—an act that resulted in Joseph essentially being the ruler of all of Egypt. After being a shepherd then a slave, becoming a ruler was definitely a new beginning for Joseph. It was a new beginning in which he honored God in all he did for the remainder of his life.
Joseph’s brothers also got a new beginning when they were forced to go to Egypt to buy food. Little did they know they were putting themselves at the mercy of Joseph—the brother they’d sold and lied to their father about. When the truth came out, Joseph’s love for his family and his forgiving heart allowed his brothers to have a fresh start at being a family.
God was honored in both situations because their new beginnings were accepted and lived out with gratitude and humility.
What happens to us individually changes our family dynamics. Read this story from the Bible about Joseph and his brothers.
Joseph was a teenage boy full of vim and vigor, and, quite honestly, it appears he was a bit of a show-off. His older brothers resented Joseph for being their dad’s favorite. But this didn’t stop Joseph from telling them he would someday rule over them and showing off his fancy coat.
In Genesis we see that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery—an act that resulted in Joseph essentially being the ruler of all of Egypt. After being a shepherd then a slave, becoming a ruler was definitely a new beginning for Joseph. It was a new beginning in which he honored God in all he did for the remainder of his life.
Joseph’s brothers also got a new beginning when they were forced to go to Egypt to buy food. Little did they know they were putting themselves at the mercy of Joseph—the brother they’d sold and lied to their father about. When the truth came out, Joseph’s love for his family and his forgiving heart allowed his brothers to have a fresh start at being a family.
God was honored in both situations because their new beginnings were accepted and lived out with gratitude and humility.
ACTION STEP: If you'd never been hurt, never been abandoned, never been lied to, never been ______________? How would you love? How would you forgive others? Today, love that way. Today, forgive that way. Forgiving others in heart, gives them a new start. Be like Jesus. His mercies are new every morning.
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