New beginnings. I don't know about y'all, but to me, there is nothing quite like that feeling one gets when something is new and fresh.
A new notebook, a new outfit, a new day, a new year. It's a time to reset, to have a fresh start. No wonder New Year's resolutions are so popular.
The day after Christmas is over and the "magic" of the day before is suddenly gone. So, we set our minds on a new focus- how can we better ourselves in the new year? When that clock strikes midnight and a new year is upon us, we often feel inspired and ready to take on that fresh start that the changing of the year offers us.
A new chance. A new hope that our lives can improve, that "20(fill in the blank) will be the best year yet."
But then all of a sudden, if you're anything like me, the novelty wears off very quickly as the reality and mundaneness of life sets in. More often than not, just a few weeks into the new year, most of the resolutions made are suddenly being put to the back burner or even forgotten all together.
This can be disconcerting, especially if, like me, any of the resolutions you made were set to help you improve your walk with the Lord.
I said that I wanted to read through the Bible every day and attempt to go through the whole thing this year. Can I be completely honest with y'all? That lasted for about a week before I quit consistently getting in the Word every day, and I've been in my Bible very sporadically since then.
I also said that I wanted to be more consistent in my prayer life this year. Well, today is Wednesday and the first day I've prayed (on my own) this week since Sunday.
I'm not going to lie to y'all, it's been very easy for me to allow myself to become discouraged by this whilst also feeling so apathetic about it at the same time. And that's not right of me. But it's true.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says this: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Even in my failures, the Lord and His love for me is steadfast. It's unchanging. He is ever merciful towards me, new every morning so that every single day, I can start fresh with Him.
The fact that I have allowed my shame in not living up to these new year's goals to keep me from spending time with Him is so silly. He has unfailing love for me and all He wants is to have a deep, intimate relationship with Him!
And my friends, He wants the same for you.
There's a quote I read by Thomas Watson which says, "Jesus went more willingly to the cross than we do to the throne of grace." But it doesn't have to be that way!
We can go to Him, right now this very moment, trusting fully that He has nothing but steadfast love and new mercies waiting for you. There is nothing you have done, there is nothing that's been done to you, that can keep Him from loving you.
”For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“ - Romans 8:38-39
You and I don't need a new year or a new week or even a new day to come back to Him. He is waiting now with open arms and fresh mercies for you. Simply you.
His love for you is infinite. Trust that. Remember that. And don't wait to do something about it!
Commentaires