See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Thanks to Christmas, we all end the year with new things—new toys for the kids, new clothes (new socks underwear for the men, new pounds on our bodies. We start the year off with new things, too—a new calendar on the wall, new bills to pay, and new resolutions for the days ahead.
Everybody likes new things, including God. He’s called the Ancient of Days, but He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
God begins His book with the story of His creating a new world; He ends it with His plans to make a new heaven and new earth.
Sometimes God wants to do new, fresh things in my life and in my ministry. But I try to hold on to yesterday’s stale manna. I don’t want to let go of what is comfortable —some old way of thinking, a certain way of doing things. If I’m not careful I’ll miss new and exciting things God has planned for me if I don’t trust His guidance, even when He seems to be leading me down unfamiliar paths.
One of the best ways to keep our faith fresh and new is to develop a habit of daily Bible study. God’s Word is timeless—old and new at the same time. Just as God’s “compassions are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23), a daily dose of His Word can give us new understanding, fresh insights, and renewed strength.
A good way for a child of God to celebrate the New Year is to let go of anything that has gone stale or rotten. Then we’ll be free to live each day expecting new, fresh things from the One Who promises, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5 (NIV)
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