NEW BEGINNINGS

NEW BEGINNINGS by Dennis Harworth

     God has some remarkable and marvelous things planned for you in 2025.  To experience the fullness of these plans you will have to leave behind just one thing—the past.  The year 2024 probably had more than its share of losses of family, friends, money, possessions or things.  You might have had many deep hurts and pains, mistakes and broken dreams too.   Nevertheless, our gracious and loving God will help you forget those things that might hinder you from going forward with our lives.

     Seize this opportunity to start this year fresh.  Receive God’s personal promises to you!  These promises are “exceeding great and precious,” (2 Peter 1:4) and ours for the asking—every day.  Every new day He desires to load you up with His benefits (Psalm 68:19).  His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  Let’s face it; our God is a God of new beginnings!  God said, “I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, they are good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

     Be encouraged that our God wants only the absolute best for you.  He wants to restore all that the enemy has stolen from you.  He wants you to be a victor not a victim; not conquered, but more than a conqueror.  He wants to turn your setbacks into comebacks, your tests into testimonies and your trials into triumphs. 

     So how can a new beginning happen in your life?  I am glad you asked!  Because I have lived this, the Lord gave me four simple ways to share with you how this could come to pass.  First and foremost:

REALIZE   

     Realize that nothing we can say or do will ever change the past.  This is probably the hardest thing to do, because our human nature is to somehow do “penance” for past wrongs to try to make them right.  Do not let the enemy try to keep you focused on past failures and shortcomings.  There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).                   

 God doesn’t care where you’ve been,

as much as He cares about where you are going!

Do not let your past circumstances, mistakes, and failures

determine your future destiny.

     You cannot change the past, nor can you pay for it.  Lay it down and leave it at the foot of the cross where the blood of Jesus will cleanse us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all, yes, ALL unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

RELY

     Rely on His grace.  God wants to multiply His grace toward you.  The grace of God is His sovereign, divine ability to get the job done on our behalf when we can’t do it.  The simple fact is that we cannot do it on our own.  Haven’t you tried doing it your own way long enough?  Rely on His strength.  Decide to seek Him first and begin to receive the promise of abundant life.  He will give you the strength.  You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). It is only through His strength that we can be victorious in our life.

REJOICE

     Rejoice, for God wants to give us beauty for our ashes (Isaiah 61:3).  Ashes represent all of our disappointments, failures, hurts, and pains after everything has been burned up.  Even though ashes are all that is left over, our loving God still promises to give us beauty for them.  Doesn’t that make you want to shout and rejoice?             

      There is one catch however; an exchange must be made.  You cannot have something beautiful and still hold on to the ashes of the past at the same time.  Let go and let God take what is in your hand and give you what is in His hand.   Wow!  That sure sounds like a great trade to me!

WRITE IT

     In order to enjoy and maintain this beautiful life, it is absolutely necessary to write the Word of God on the tablets of your heart (2 Corinthians 3:3).  One of the best ways is to find the promises of God that you need in your life and write them down on index cards.  Keep them ever before you, taping them to the bathroom mirror and refrigerator or placing them on the dash of your car.  Then, read them aloud repeatedly, letting the words sink deep into your spirit.  I want to strongly encourage you to find the promises;  write them down, and then speak them over your life.  You will start seeing amazing life changes because God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).  

     You can begin to experience living an abundant, victorious life by these four simple ways:  Realize that your past cannot be changed.  Rely on the Lord’s grace and strength.  Rejoice for the absolutely beautiful trade of a new life for the ashes and baggage of your past.  Write down His Word so that you can get it in your heart and live His promises every day.  Each day can become alive and fresh like a new day and a new year.  It is then you will know that God has just for you:  NEW BEGINNINGS!