Tag: God makes all things new

Faith, Jesus

Out With the Old in With the New

meghanewhite

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Another Christmas tree tossed to the curb. It’s just a tree but I like them. They each have their own personalities. This tree had a huge crack in the trunk, so about three feet had to be chopped off. It leaned to the right, but still so pretty. And there were no complaints about the smell. That wondrous fresh pine aroma filled our house.

This lovely tree, with all its memories, is gone. If it were up to me I’d probably have a fresh tree year round loaded with Christmas decorations. Trees eventually die so it wouldn’t be ideal to have one all year in my living room. It would look like a cactus by the time the next holiday season arrived. As much as I love fresh trees, I look forward to cleaning everything up from Christmas and putting it all away. It’s a fresh start.

Throwing out our old tree makes me think about throwing out some bad habits, and bad attitudes that need to go in my life. Like a dried up tired tree, so is my attitude at times. I say I’m going to change yet I still fall back into bad habits that need to go. I know what it takes to bring real lasting change, surrender.

Only Jesus can help me let go of whatever is destructive in my life, and He can make something new and beautiful from it. But I have to let go, and I don’t always want to. I think my old ways are better, when they clearly are not. It doesn’t stop me from going back to them like an old familiar shiny Christmas tree that dulls over time. I think it’s working, but it’s not. 

Jesus is calling me to trust Him with the old, and He’ll replace it with new. I’ll take what He’s handing out any day, even if it involves death to my old ways. His ways are the best. I’m looking forward to the new things that Jesus wants to do in me. It will be difficult to throw out the old bad stuff that I cling to, but I’m ready for the new stuff from my Savior. 

Complaining can be replaced with gratitude.

Worry can be transformed into faith.

Fear can be destroyed with peace.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17, BSB 

Love you all,

Meghan 

Bible, Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

Need A Fresh Start?

meghanewhite

silhouette of mountains

Do you ever wish there was a reset button in life? Things are just going downhill and it sure would be nice to start over again. There is good news for you. Today, right now, you can start again. Each day is a fresh start. A gift from the Lord. He knew we needed beginnings and endings, each and every day. Doesn’t necessarily mean that the problem or issue disappears the next day, but it can mean a renewal of your attitude and faith.

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV 

 

I can’t help but think of Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship, when needing a restart comes to mind. Chuck was one of President Nixon’s right hand men, and went to prison for his involvement in Watergate. Chuck met Jesus and accepted Him as Savior, and eventually started a world renowned prison ministry. That’s a spectacular fresh start. Only God would do something so magnificent with something so ugly.

Moses had a few fresh starts during his life. He flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian who had beaten one of his fellow Hebrews. Moses then becomes a shepherd and starts a new life in the desert. Years later God talks to Moses from a burning bush. God tells Moses that he’s sending him to Pharoah to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 3) That is a historic fresh start. Definitely a hard job, that changes the course of history.

Moses was not asking for that fresh start. God had other plans. Sometimes we think everything is going fine. Like Moses, maybe we want to hide out in the desert and give ourselves a fresh start. But God shows up and surprises us. God always has a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB

Is there a destructive habit that needs to stop in your life?

Maybe there’s an ugly attitude.

Is there a strain in one of your significant relationships? Marriage, kids, family, friends.

Do you need to forgive someone?

Do you need to apologize and ask for forgiveness?

I’m not suggesting you can instanly fix everything. Only God can change hearts, minds, and attitudes. And time travel is not an option to go back and make changes.

The one thing you can change is you.

Your fresh start begins the moment you surrender it all to Jesus. It takes humilty to lay it at the Lord’s feet and ask for His help.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10, NIV 

Every single moment is an opportunity to start again.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you can change that right now, today. God is drawing you to Jesus.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44, NIV

If you need a fresh start, it begins right now. You can choose.

Love you all,

Meghan

P.S. If you need prayer please go to my contact page and send me an email.

 

 

 

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/
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