When I woke up this morning, I rejoiced in the fact that it is a new day, the beginning of a new week, and the beginning of a new year that provides opportunities for us to start anew and fresh. The hymn that comes to mind this morning is, “Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand has provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hopes for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!” Take the time to reread the words to the hymn and determine how it speaks to you in your life. Pick yourself up and get to stepping into freshness and newness today.

Procrastinating and having a pity party will only cause your blessing to be delayed. Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine; for thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  

I admonish all of us to take advantage of the privilege of dismissing our mistakes, setbacks, pains, heartaches, losses, shame, guilt, etc. and let them go and let’s be determined to start in our newness and freshness with determination and persistence. Starting fresh is not always easy, for the burden may be heavy, but the word of God says, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Sometimes our fresh starts are by choice and some are beyond our control.

What we must remember, however, is that God is in control and is sovereign, therefore we can rely on Him to get us through it all.    

Sometimes we need a fresh start in certain areas of our lives for the simple reason that it rejuvenates and energizes us to the point that we can do greater things in life. What better time to make those changes for the betterment of ourselves than at the beginning of a new year and new day. We may feel that everything is going well, even our walk with God, but we can continue to mature and grow in our walk with Him.

Here we are still in the midst of a pandemic after almost two years, yet we can use this time to reflect on what hindered us from moving forward and use this time to start anew. Let’s not let Satan take away our joy, hope and peace.

Isaiah 43:18 tells us, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

Whatever happened in our past that hindered us from being everything God has called us to become, let it go. Dwelling on the past can deter us from receiving the blessings God has in store for us.

Remember I said reflect on the past, but not dwell on it.  

We can not forget those whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters, loss of properties and loss of loved ones. These are cases of forced or uncontrolled new beginnings. Yes, we as Christians can pray, but let us also reach out in someway to family, friends and even those we do not know who are in need of assistance with their new starts. Let us be an encouragement in some way to those we may know personally. Our helping them may give us a sense of newness and freshness in our lives.   

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed. Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”    

Even if we know we have sinned, confess and repent. Know that your fresh start is in place. For we know God forgives us when we confess our sins. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Prayer: God you know all about us and our needs. We thank you for every good thing you provide for us every day. Help us to let go of the past and concentrate on our today. Bring all of us into new beginnings with our reliance on You. Amen!

Not a sermon, just my thoughts!

Robert Earl Slade, Pastor