Isaiah 43:18-19 "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? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Restoration
It is a new year, a new beginning, a new time to remind ourselves of the goodness of the Lord. It is a time to reminisce the wonderful things God has done in our lives and to continue glorifying Him above all else in our lives. It is that time that we forget the former things and begin to dwell on the new chapter that is being written by the Lord. The Lord reminds us to forget about the former things and to avoid dwelling on the past, but instead, focus on the future, the new things that He is doing in us. The Lord is doing things in our lives that even us will not understand. But what are we called to do? How are we to respond to God's call to do new things in our lives? How are we to react to the amazing things that God is doing?
These questions bring to mind David's prayer of restoration in Psalm 51. In verse 12, King David, acknowledges that he has sinned before the Lord and prays that the Lord restores the joy of his salvation. It is amazing how the past can dictate our future and lead us to self-condemnation, something that Christ has taken away already. It is also amazing how the decisions we make based on past events can eventually lead to a miserable life. I have always advised myself to avoid making decisions based on past events. The good thing about this is that we can be restored and get the joy back so that we can live a wholesome life. In Psalms 23:3, the Lord restores our souls. He knows exactly what we want and leads us there. The more we seek for ourselves the more we become less dependent upon the Lord and hopefully, the more we should realize that we need to get back to the Lord. Last week I defined Holiness, as the total dependence upon God. It is the realization that I cannot do it on my own, and so I can turn it over to Christ. It is like a battle with sin in our lives. Without total surrender to God and the acknowledgment that we are sinners before, we will continue living miserably. Only God can lead us to restoration. And when we are finally restored, the path to a new beginning becomes inevitable. There is so much joy whenever you have a new beginning and feel that you have been restored. I am reminded of the many people that Jesus forgave of their sins and they walked away relieved and feeling restored. That is how I feel whenever the Lord grants me that peace of mind that enables me to confront life head on without fear.
Renewal and Refreshing
There is so much joy whenever one is renewed and refreshed in the Lord. The Lord assures us in Isaiah 40:31, that if we wait upon Him, our strength will be renewed. This renewal is wholesome and embraces, our body, soul and spirit. This inward renewal not only occur once we are restored, but on a daily basis (2 Corinthians 4:16). This renewal also leads to inward transformation (Romans 12:2). In other words, we become more like Christ and less like ourselves. We become new creations (Ephesians 4:24) and continue with the journey of obedience and total dependence upon God. In this renewal, the Lord grants us a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). These developments enable us to confront new challenges with much confidence knowing that God is on our side. Our trust in the Lord continues to build up and our hope in the Lord acquire new levels of strength. All these happen because the Lord is good. What a joy it is to go into a new year with confidence and victory. What a joy to go into the new year, having been renewed and restored. What a joy to enter into the new year with hope and assurance. I hope that your soul, body and mind is renewed and refreshed and that the joy of your salvation is restored as you enter into this new year. You may have faced all kinds of things in the past year, but it is time forget the past and dwell on the future. You have may faced tragedies, unforgettable events, and uncertainties, but its time to take a new dimension in life. New year, New Hope, More trust in God.
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