In the early days of almost any January, the word “new” is used a lot. We can even go overboard with it. Not everything is new just because the calendar changes. And “newness” is not restricted just to a ball drop in Times Square and the first days of January. Depending upon your translation, the Bible uses some form of the word “new” nearly two hundred times. One such occurrence is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.” In the Old Testament, Jeremiah wrote these words in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
From Paul and Jeremiah, we learn two important truths that can impact our faith and life. First, we learn that God makes us new. We experience a new birth through our faith in Christ Jesus. We leave the old life of sin behind. We are forgiven and remade through God’s grace. We are not the same after we come to Jesus as we were before we came to Him. Second, God’s compassions or mercies are new each day and suitable for each day. God never has to recycle His mercy. It is always new and we are the beneficiaries of that mercy. So, even though the calendar changes and 2021 gives way to 2022, we still hold on to some old truths. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus. And God’s mercy is new for us every day. Those realities sound like we are the real winners.
I have had several conversations recently with people who are considering “what is next in life?” These conversations involve possible job changes, upsizing for some and downsizing for others. For some folks, change is exhilarating. For others, change is frustrating or fearful. But change happens. You are older now than you were when you started reading this devotion. You have expended more breaths and more heartbeats than you had when you woke up this morning. Life brings change. But in the midst of this change, we can always hold to two unchanging realities—we belong to the Lord and His mercies are fresh every day. We age but God does not. We build our faith on the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
On the first Sunday of the year in 1867, Charles Spurgeon preached the following words to those who had gathered to listen to him preach. “Let us be as happy as we can during this year. You have your trials and troubles to come—do not expect that you will be free from them. Herein is your joy, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will never leave you nor forsake you.” That sermon was preached 155 years ago but it is just as relevant as tomorrow morning’s sunrise. Nothing that happens today, tomorrow or ever will change the joy we have of knowing that the Lord will neither forsake us nor leave us.
Maybe Spurgeon’s words are for you today. Maybe along with the newness of this new year there is some anxiousness, worry or fear. But God is good and He has taken up residence with His people. Be joyful because the Lord has come! Have a wonderful Thursday!
From Paul and Jeremiah, we learn two important truths that can impact our faith and life. First, we learn that God makes us new. We experience a new birth through our faith in Christ Jesus. We leave the old life of sin behind. We are forgiven and remade through God’s grace. We are not the same after we come to Jesus as we were before we came to Him. Second, God’s compassions or mercies are new each day and suitable for each day. God never has to recycle His mercy. It is always new and we are the beneficiaries of that mercy. So, even though the calendar changes and 2021 gives way to 2022, we still hold on to some old truths. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus. And God’s mercy is new for us every day. Those realities sound like we are the real winners.
I have had several conversations recently with people who are considering “what is next in life?” These conversations involve possible job changes, upsizing for some and downsizing for others. For some folks, change is exhilarating. For others, change is frustrating or fearful. But change happens. You are older now than you were when you started reading this devotion. You have expended more breaths and more heartbeats than you had when you woke up this morning. Life brings change. But in the midst of this change, we can always hold to two unchanging realities—we belong to the Lord and His mercies are fresh every day. We age but God does not. We build our faith on the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
On the first Sunday of the year in 1867, Charles Spurgeon preached the following words to those who had gathered to listen to him preach. “Let us be as happy as we can during this year. You have your trials and troubles to come—do not expect that you will be free from them. Herein is your joy, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will never leave you nor forsake you.” That sermon was preached 155 years ago but it is just as relevant as tomorrow morning’s sunrise. Nothing that happens today, tomorrow or ever will change the joy we have of knowing that the Lord will neither forsake us nor leave us.
Maybe Spurgeon’s words are for you today. Maybe along with the newness of this new year there is some anxiousness, worry or fear. But God is good and He has taken up residence with His people. Be joyful because the Lord has come! Have a wonderful Thursday!
Recent
Archive
2023
January
Monday, January 2, 2023Tuesday, January 3, 2023Wednesday, January 4, 2023Thursday, January 5, 2023Monday, January 9, 2023Tuesday, January 10, 2023Wednesday, January 11, 2023Thursday, January 12, 2023Monday, January 16, 2023Tuesday, January 17, 2023Wednesday, January 18, 2023Thursday, January 19, 2023Monday, January 23, 2023Tuesday, January 24, 2023Wednesday, January 25, 2023Thursday, January 26, 2023Monday, January 30, 2023Tuesday, January 31, 2023
2022
January
January 3, 2022Tuesday, January 4, 2022Wednesday, January 5, 2022Thursday, January 6, 2022Monday, January 10, 2022Tuesday, January 11, 2022Wednesday, January 12, 2022Thursday, January 13, 2022Monday, January 17, 2022Tuesday, January 18, 2022Wednesday, January 19, 2022Thursday, January 20, 2022Monday, January 24, 2022Tuesday, January 25, 2022Wednesday, January 26, 2022Thursday, January 27, 2022Monday, January 31, 2022
February
Tuesday, February 1, 2022Wednesday, February 2, 2022Thursday, February 3, 2022Monday, February 7, 2022Tuesday, February 8, 2022Wednesday, February 9, 2022Thursday, February 10, 2022Monday, February 14, 2022Tuesday, February 15, 2022Wednesday, February 16, 2022Thursday, February 17, 2022Monday, February 21, 2022Wednesday, February 23, 2022Thursday, February 24, 2022Monday, February 28, 2022
March
Tuesday, March 1, 2022Wednesday, March 2, 2022Thursday, March 3, 2022Monday, March 7, 2022Wednesday, March 9, 2022Thursday, March 10, 2022Monday, March 14, 2022Tuesday, March 15, 2022Wednesday, March 16, 2022Monday, March 21, 2022Tuesday, March 22, 2022Wednesday, March 23, 2022Thursday, March 24, 2022Monday, March 28, 2022Tuesday, March 29, 2022Wednesday, March 30, 2022Thursday, March 31, 2022
April
Monday, April 4, 2022Tuesday, April 5, 2022Wednesday, April 6, 2022Thursday, April 7, 2022Monday, April 11, 2022Tuesday, April 12, 2022Wednesday, April 13, 2022Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022Monday, April 18, 2022Tuesday, April 19, 2022Wednesday, April 20, 2022Monday, April 25, 2022Tuesday, April 26, 2022Wednesday, April 27, 2022Thursday, April 28, 2022
May
Categories
Tags
Acts
Communion
Cross
God's will
God\'s will
God
Gospels
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Joseph
Lent
Reformation
accountability
action
advent
all saints
allegory
anxiety
apologetics
atonement
awareness
awe
backsliding
baptism
beginning
beloved
bitterness
blessing
born again
burden
calling
care
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
church history
circumcision
comfort
commitment
community
compassion
confession
confidence
consequences
contentment
control
cost
courage
creation
death
decisions
deliverance
dependence
depth
despair
determination
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
disobedience
doctrine
doubt
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
end times
endurance
eternal life
eternity
evangelism
evil
example
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
family
fatigue
fear
fellowship
focus
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
foundation
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gifts
giving
glory
goodness
gospel
grace
grateful
gratitude
grit
growth
guidance
guilt
halloween
happiness
healing
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
hope
humble
humility
identity
impossible
incarnation
inspiration
instruction
integrity
journey
joy
judgment
justice
justification
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
lament
law
leadership
lead
life
listening
love
martin luther
maturity
memorial
memories
mercy
messiah
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
motives
mourning
music
nation
nativity
new year
new
obedience
obstacles
omniscience
opportunity
opposition
overcoming
passion
path
patience
peace
persecution
perseverence
perspective
plan
poetry
power
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
promise
prophecy
protection
provision
psalm
purpose
reconcile
redemption
refuge
rejoice
relationship
remember
remembrance
renewal
renown
repentance
resentment
resolution
restoration
rest
return
revenge
revival
righteousness
sacrifice
sadness
salvation
sanctification
scripture
second coming
seeking God
self-control
serenity
sermon
service
silence
sincerity
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
spiritual disciplines
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stubbornness
stuck
success
suffering
surrender
talents
temple
testimony
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
theology
time
tithes
tough times
traditions
transfiguration
trials
trinity
troubles
trust
truth
veterans
victory
waiting
warning
wisdom
wise men
wonder
work
worship
No Comments