TIME IS MOVING. SEEMS LIKE IT WAS JUST YESTERDAY WE WERE EXCHANGING GIFTS WITH OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. USUALLY RIGHT AFTER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WE BEGIN HONING-IN ON THE NEW YEAR AHEAD RIGHT? I KNOW THERE ARE SOME SMILES AND HEAD KNODS. SUPER FOCUSED AND SUPER EXCITED ON GOALS, GOD-DREAMS, PLANS, NEW RESOLUTIONS, NEW RELATIONSHIPS, AND BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR.
THERE IS THE FAMOUS LOSE WEIGHT AND GET FIT GOAL (I AM RAISING BOTH MY HANDS AND BOTH MY FEET). LISTEN…HAVING THE PLEASURE OF EATING THAT WONDERFUL HOLIDAY COMFORT FOOD COMES WITH A COST THAT I HAVE THE HARDEST TIME PAYING. IT’S LIKE A CREDIT CARD WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE RATE. YOU DON’T MIND CHARGING IT UP BUT WHEN THE BILL COMES IN, YOU BETTER BE READY TO PAY.
USUALLY EVERY YEAR AFTER THE HOLIDAYS I AM “TALKING THE TALK” TO MY HUSBAND. I AM SAYING HONEY I AM GOING TO THE GYM EVERY WEEK AND IT IS ON SO LET’S DO THIS. BUT BY THE TIME THE END OF JANUARY HITS, I AM OFF THE RADAR. HUBBY IS GOING TO THE GYM BY HIMSELF LOL. THANK GOD FOR HUBBY’S GRACE IN THIS AREA.
OFCOURSE I DID THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. IN THE BEGINNING I WAS GEARED UP AND READY BUT THEN THAT “SOMETHING” HAPPENED. SO BESIDES BEING TOO BUSY AND/OR LAZY (I HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH). I HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS. WHAT IS THAT “THING” THAT WEARS OFF THE NEWNESS AND EXCITEMENT….. OF ANYTHING? AND IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT TIME ….YES T-I-I-I-I-MME IS THE “THING” THAT CAN WEAR NEWNESS RIGHT OFF. AS PRECIOUS A COMMODITY AS TIME IS, IT CAN ALSO BE AN ENEMY TO THE THING THAT IS NEW.
THINK OF A NEW SWEATER OR A BRAND NEW JOB OR A NEW BUSINESS VENTURE, NEW MUSIC, OR A NEW RELATIONSHIP….EVEN A NEW BABY. YES A BRAND NEW BABY IS EXCITING BUT WHEN THOSE LONG SLEEPLESS NIGHTS START CATCHING UP TO YOU AND WHEN THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE POOKA-SWEET-UMS START TO TALKING….RUNNING AROUND…ANNNDD AWAY FROM YOU… AND NOT LISTENING….THAT NEWNESS CAN WEAR OFF REAL QUICK.
ALL THESE THINGS I JUST MENTIONED AND MORE ARE EXCITING WHEN THEY ARE NEW AT FIRST. BUT THEN HERE COMES TIME. WHEN WE START ADDING SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, AND YEARS ON THESE THINGS, THEY BECOME OLD. AND SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY NOT EVEN HOLD AS MUCH VALUE AS THEY DID WHEN THEY WERE NEW, LIKE THAT SWEATER. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU ARE GOING TO THE CLOTHING DUMPSTER OR A STORE THAT TAKES GENTLY USED CLOTHING AND SELLS IT FOR A CHEAPER PRICE.
I AM SO GLAD GOD WORKS BACKWARDS. HE SENT HIS SON JESUS TO DIE FOR US. HE PURCHASED US IN BULK FOR A HIGH PRICE. THERE WERE NO DISCOUNTS AT THE CROSS. WHEN HE ROSE, HE ROSE WITH ALL POWER AND WITH OUR PRICE TAGS CONNECTED TO THAT POWER.
IT HAS BEEN 2,000 YEARS AND HE IS STILL MADLY IN LOVE WITH US. HIS LOVE FOR US IS STILL BRAND NEW. IT NEVER GETS OLD. IN FACT HIS WORD PROMISES THAT WE HAVE NEW MERCIES EVERY MORNING BECAUSE OF HIS UNFAILING LOVE. HIS WORD SAYS THAT HE DAILY LOADS US WITH BENEFITS …AS IN BEARING OUR BURDENS (WHAT A BLESSING THIS IS)! AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCRIPTURES SAYS …BEHOLD I WILL DO A NEW THING AND IT SHALL SPRING FORTH. HE WILL MAKE A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS AND GIVE US RIVERS IN THE DESERT. THIS SCRIPTURE ALWAYS BLESSES ME BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME THAT WHEN WE ARE IN OUR DARK, DRY, AND ALONE SEASONS HE IS STILL DOING SOMETHING NEW…RIGHT IN IT AND IN US! HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US. THIS PROMISE COMES AFTER STOP COVETING AND TO BE CONTENT IS MENTIONED. LIFE WITH JESUS IS BEAUTIFUL AND WITHOUT FEAR. HE KEEPS IT NEW IN EVERY SEASON OF OUR LIVES BUT WE HAVE TO ALLOW HIM ACCESS IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THAT NEWNESS.
AS I WRAP OUR TIME UP THIS WEEK. I WANT TO ASK YOU…IS IT STILL NEW? IS THAT GOD DREAM YOU WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR STILL NEW? IS THAT PERSONAL GOAL YOU SET FOR YOURSELF STILL NEW? IS THAT MARRIAGE, THAT FRIENDSHIP, THAT LOVE FOR YOUR CHILDREN STILL NEW? IS 2018 STILL NEW OR ARE YOU TIRED OF THE YEAR ALREADY? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…IS YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS AND FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER STILL NEW? WHEN THAT IS FIRST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS RIGHT INTO PLACE.
PRAYER:
FATHER I HONOR YOUR GREAT NAME TODAY. YOU ALONE ARE WORTHY TO RECEIVE HONOR AND PRAISE. YOU ARE THE GREAT GIVER OF LIFE AND OF EVERYTHING AND I BLESS YOU TODAY. I RECEIVE YOUR NEW MERCIES EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP. I RECEIVE YOUR DAILY LOAD OF BENEFITS. THANK YOU FATHER FOR SENDING YOUR SON JESUS TO KEEP THE LOVE NEW. THANK YOU FOR THE NEWNESS OF LIFE. THANK YOU FOR NEVER GETTING TIRED OF ME. HELP ME GOD TO LOVE LIKE YOU LOVE. GIVE ME THE STAMINA AND ENDURANCE TO KEEP THINGS NEW AND FRESH IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR BLESSING MY THOUGHTS, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, MY PASTORS AND CHURCH FAMILY, MY NEIGHBORS, STRANGERS, THOSE WITHOUT HOPE BLESS THEM AND BLESS THROUGH ME FOR THEM. IN JESUS NAME. AMEN
SCRIPTURES:
ISAIAH 43:19 KJV: BEHOLD, I WILL DO A NEW THING; NOW IT SHALL SPRING FORTH; SHALL YE NOT KNOW IT? I WILL EVEN MAKE A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS, AND RIVERS IN THE DESERT.
PSALM 68:19 NIV-PRAISE BE TO THE LORD, TO GOD OUR SAVIOR, WHO DAILY BEARS OUR BURDENS.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 NIV:
22 IT IS OF THE LORD’S MERCIES THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT.
23 THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.
HEBREWS 13:5: LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE.
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