Hey All,
Happy New Year! As many of ya’ll know, I was blessed by our first granddaughter on November 8th of last year. As I have had opportunity to spend time with her, it amazes me how everything is new to her. Over these first 7 weeks, I have seen her go from being 100% dedicated to eating and sleeping, to now where she is spending time awake just taking life in as it comes. You can see that little mind at work processing things as her personality develops.
Jesus enters the world as a baby!
What a timely reminder at Christmas that God chose to send His son Jesus into the world as a baby. Jesus was totally dependent on Mary and Joseph to provide for all his needs. I am sure as they rejoiced in the birth of their new baby, they also were scared as new parents whether or not they were doing everything right for their son. Yet Jesus could do nothing as he was 100% dedicated to eating and sleeping, just as we all were as newborn children. Over the coming months and years he would take the instruction that Mary and Joseph gave to him to develop his body, soul and mind. We saw His true calling come out as a disciple, for His father (God), as he spent time in the temple with the religious leaders. Ultimately without Jesus’ life and death on the cross for our salvation, we would not have the new beginning of eternal life with God.
New Creation and New Beginnings
Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; behold the old things have passed away; behold the new things have come. We are a new creation when we accept Christ as our savior. We are the baby that is totally dependent on God for everything and in the beginning we are 100% dedicated to Him. Paul again asks in Romans 6:1-4 Are we to continue to sin so that grace may increase?…..No through baptism in Christ Jesus we have have been buried with Christ and raised again so that we might walk in newness of life. Both of these verses show that we are given the opportunity to start over again as a new creation in Christ Jesus. How many times do we get to do that in life? Thank God that our heavenly Father is a God of Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth chances etc.
For me and with many, I tend to think about these things around New Years Day every year. It’s a new year. What will be different? What will be my dreams and aspirations for this year? I personally am not a big New Year’s resolution guy because when I make up my mind to change, I dedicate the time needed to see the result. Sometimes this is in the middle of the the year and other times it is in January. Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 43: 18 that we are not to dwell on things from the past. Sure we should let them shape us and mold us into what God has in store for us, but living in the past does not allow us to be that “New Creation” or to “walk in the newness of life” as God calls us to be.
So to wrap up
I have had this verse on my heart ever since Sunday in worship, but I was not bold enough to speak it. Romans 12:2 says: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you might prove what the will of God is, that which is good acceptable and perfect.
Oh thank you Father for sending your son, Jesus, so that we can be a new creation for Him in this world. I pray that we will not conform to what the world wants or expects of us. I pray that we might each seek your will, listen to your voice, and be your hands and feet on this earth. Father let us be bold in 2019 and the rest of the days you give us to fulfill the plans you have for us! Amen? AMEN!
image sourced from google images
Good Bog old man, love it. Romans 12:2 awesome reminder. Let it be as you have said :/
I was just thinking of the verse that says “His mercies are new every morning.” I also attended a funeral just a few weeks ago, and the pastor referred to the verse that says “though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” It’s comforting to know that Jesus is going to make all things new.