New Beginnings and Falling Resolve

It’s hard to think about new beginnings when winter grips my world. It is cold. The trees, bushes, and flowers lie dormant. It doesn’t look “new”. Things look old, drab, brown. The weather is not friendly. The sun hides. I hide from the air that freezes nose hairs and eye lashes. January 1 may come with a flip of the calendar and the rising of the sun, but things don’t feel new when I’m in the middle of enduring winter. Winter is an actual season, but sometimes our lives feel like perpetual winters no matter what season we’re in. Enduring and newness seem like they can’t coexist together, but what if they can?

I’m not a fan of resolutions. Probably because I can’t keep one longer than two or three days and my failure to make it to day four makes me feel ashamed. But enduring…that’s something I can do. It’s something we all can do. We can last, stay steadfast, and exercise faithfulness.

Regrets follow us. Shame mocks us. Those baby resolutions that didn’t grow past day 3 scream at us from the back of the room. We shut the door. Give up. Quit. I’ve done it. But think about it this way—rather than waiting for January 1 to start “new”, what if we treated each day like a “new” start?

Scripture

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 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 43:18-19 ESV).

Each day that lies before us is a new day. Yesterday holds regrets over promises not kept, tasks unfinished, and habits unbroken. Will we let those regrets prevent us from seeing the new thing God wants to do in our lives?

Remember not is a lovely way to phrase: “Forget it.” But what it’s really telling us to do is not to reminisce on what was before. We don’t have to chew on our regrets like a cow chewing its cud. Those regrets don’t have to speak negatively into our present day and bully us into giving up the new that God is doing in our lives.

God Brings New

God wants to do “new” in your life. He wants to bring you to new pastures, new spaces, and new moments with him. He wants to transform you into his likeness. This newness happens bit by bit with each yes you say to God.  Did he help you pay attention to your words, and you chose kind ones over harsh? Celebrate. But maybe you chose the harsh ones and didn’t want to. Admit it and receive forgiveness. Then move on. Regrets bully, but God restores.

God is making a way in the wilderness. He is making springs in the desert. He is helping you every step of the way with every new day. Look for him. Focus on him and his miraculous redemption and watch him make a way when the new year is hard.

Prayer for Your Heart

Lord God,
You are holy, righteous, and almighty. Your mercies are new every morning and I praise you for your faithfulness. Will you reveal what newness you’re working out in my heart and life? I don’t want to be caught up with my regrets and mistakes. I want to let them go and focus on you. You restore broken people. The power of regrets in my life interferes with focusing on the new that you’re doing. Restore me. May a way. Let streams flow even in my desert places. I love you and look to you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

I am grateful for you and your desire to grow in Christ, whether its baby steps or by leaps and bounds. Remember to take each day as a new day and trust the Lord to enable you to see the new growth he’s bringing about in your life.

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost before you’ve even begun?

Sometimes we feel defeated before the battle has even begun because the challenge is too great; the heartache is too unbearable; and the personal cost is too much. Courage feels thin. Hearts quake and knees shake. And yet, there’s one way forward and that’s through the fire. The three Hebrew young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego faced a literal fire when they refused to worship a manmade image. How could they survive? Fire consumes everything in its wake–oxygen, land, and people. Defeat looked probable. But look at their faith:

They replied…“we do not need to defend ourselves in this matter. If we are thrown into this blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it….but even if he does not, we want you to know King Nebuchadnezzar, we will not serve your gods or the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18 ESV).

They remind us of two things: One, God is able. Two, their faith is not dependent on whether or not God acts on his ability.

God is able.

In our own lives we can remember that God is able and capable of anything. He can change our circumstances or he can make a way through. He can heal this side of heaven or the other side. He can protect us from the flames or carry us through the pain of the flames. God is able.

It’s one thing to know this about God and another thing entirely to keep our faith intact whether God wills to do a miracle the way we think it should be. The three Hebrew boys had no idea what the outcome of this battle would be. They only knew that they could not bow down to that image of gold. We have the benefit of knowing how the story ends, but they did not. We whoop and holler over their victory, but when they faced the fire, they had to know that it looked like an impossible victory.

We’ve been in situations like that before. We’ve wished we knew the end of the story and could just flip through those pages in our lives. But life doesn’t work that way. We need to live through our joys and sorrows; our knowns and unknowns with a faith that reminds us that God is able and even if he does not save us from the fire, we can still choose to worship and serve him. He gets the glory because he is able and through our steady faith shining as an example to a faithless world.

A Prayer for Victory

Holy God,
We need you to intervene in our circumstance. It seems as though defeat is the probable outcome, but even if not, we will serve you with our whole hearts. We will take up courage like a mantle and trust that you will make a way when there is no way. We won’t let the outcome of our circumstances dictate our faith in you, but we will stand firm in the promised victory–whether it’s in our actual situation or in our heart. You are mighty to save and we choose to stand firm in you so that others around us may see your glory in us. Thank you for leading, guiding, and directing us through the ups and downs of life. We rejoice in your victory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For the Kingdom

As you go about your lives, remember that God is able and that he wants your faith to be dependent on him. He is “I Am” and is with you always. Take up your courage and stand firm in your faith. I’ll be joining you with the battle cry, “For the Kingdom!” Let’s raise our voices together so that the world might see.

Trust Building Verses:

Overcome Anxiety by Hearing the Word of God

When I hear the news, I’ve noticed my mind runs in anxious circles over what’s happening in our world. But God pulls me into a hard stop and says, “Listen.” So, I have been and this what I’ve learned:

• Worry and fretting don’t bring peace, but standing in wonder of God does.
• Letting my thoughts run wild creates an avalanche of anxiety, but capturing my thoughts brings assurance that God is in control.
• Allowing my faith to grow by hearing God’s word brings strength for the day to day.

Romans 10:17 states: “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of God.”

 

I’ve begun the practice of reading the Bible out loud to myself during devotions. It might be a verse or two or a whole chapter or even half a chapter. But what I’ve discovered is how much it helps me pay attention to what I’m reading and how it’s building my faith.

I wanted to take it a step further and focus on trust building verses, so, I made a short six minute recording of some passages. The power of listening is amazing and has the power to change our thoughts, which changes our lives.

It’s my prayer that as you let God’s word soak into your heart that your faith grows so that you can face your personal struggles with the power of God.

He loves you with an everlasting love and enables you to stand firm on him, the Everlasting Rock and sure foundation for your feet.

Holy God, 

We need you more than ever. Thank you for giving us your Word as a guide and comfort. May it pierce our hearts and may we draw ever closer to you. We ask that you do a mighty work in our lives and in our world. You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory.

In Jesus’s name, 

Amen.