THE NEW YEAR

By Jemima Rayan

The past year would have been a tough one for many of us in many ways. But, it was God who carried us through. With God, we were able to withstand the pressures and the challenges. God, in His word, has instructed us several things about our attitude.

Do not dwell in the past:

Is 43:18 says,' Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old'. God always chooses to teach His children though trials, but God also wants us to get on with life. We should choose not to dwell on the past. But, why does He allow the difficult times? It is because God wants us to learn from our failures.

Abraham Lincoln went through eleven defeats before he was elected the president of the United States. He underwent two major health concerns and loss of two children. But he did not dwell on his past. That is a tremendous example for us.

Rom 8:28 says, '...all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose'. Christians should know that God would work amidst hardships, suffering and challenges. One thing God guarantees and that is ultimate good results. On the long run God wants His children to get to the place where He wants them to go to.

Phil 1:6 says, '...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ'. We should have the confidence in the faithfulness of our God and not on our own abilities.

God promises:

New thing:

Is 43:19 says, 'I will do a new thing...I will even make a road in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert'. God is saying something that we cannot visualize or see with our eyes. God says that He will do something we have never ever seen.

Is 42:16 says, 'I will bring the blind by a way they did not know, I will lead them in paths they have not known, I will make darkness light before them'. Here God is talking about something that we have not heard of. We don't have to understand what God is about to do in our lives. He has ways and means that is beyond our ability to comprehend.

God wants us to know that he works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for us where there seems to be no way. That is who our God is! How privileged we are to have such an awesome God!

New mercy and compassion:

Lam 3:22, 23 says, 'Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not. They are new every morning, "Great is your faithfulness". God loves variety. God has not made two people alike. He wants new grace upon His children. His compassion is also new. Isn't that good! So, we need to be thankful to God for His mercy and His compassion. He is so much mindful of His children.

New anointing:

In the Bible, wine represents the anointing. Eph 5:18 says, 'Do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit'. Is 55:1 says, '...come buy wine'. To get the anointing, we need to pay the price. We need to wait upon the Lord and be found in the waiting room of God. Matt 9:17 says, '...nor do they put new wine into old wineskin'. God is looking for some new wineskin to pour out His anointing. He cannot pour our His Spirit if the wineskin is old.

God's Expectations:

New commandment:

Obedience is better than sacrifice. God's word declares in Jn 13:34,' A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; as I have loved you'. The new commandment is called new because it presents a new standard that is the love of Jesus Christ. The servant-like, selfless love that Christians display toward one another is a great witness to the world than anything else.

New man:

Col 3:10 says, '...put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Christ'. As Christians we should go from a new creation to a new man. We should basically mature in our relationship with the Lord. We cannot afford to have a set of rules and regulations to govern our lives. But we have to put on the new man.

New walk:

Rom 6:4 says, '...we also should walk in the newness of life'. Rom 7:6 says, '...we should serve in the newness of the spirit'. God's word talks about walking the walk before we talk the talk. Our relationship with the Lord comes before the ministry that we are doing. We cannot talk something and do another thing. God wants His children to be transformed, renewed and refreshed each day.

May the Lord help us to walk in the newness of Life in Jesus' name, Amen.