A New Beginning
By-Crickettt
(Scripture taken from New Living Translation)
Psalm 51:1-17-Have mercy upon me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner--yes from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me--now let me rejoice. Don't keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do no banish me from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
The above scripture was a Psalm written by David during his reign as King of Israel. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed in battle so he could take her as his wife. David had become separated from God because of his sin. The guilt was so overwhelming that he went to God in prayer and asked for forgiveness. David had been so close to God since he was a young boy. He had found favor with God because of his faith. Now, David had gotten his eyes off of God and onto the world around him. He began to misuse his title as King and sinned against God. David soon became filled with lust and desires that God had not ordained in his life. When Bathsheba became pregnant with his child, David knew he had to have her husband killed so they could marry, and no one would know. But God knew...and David began to feel separated from God's presence and soon he was devastated and grieving.
These scriptures allow us to see; no matter what we have done in our past or present, God still forgives. The Bible teaches in Lamentations 3:22, 23 that God is compassionate toward us and if we go to him with a sincere heart, he wipes our slate clean. His compassion fails not; they are new every morning. Each day is a brand-new day for us with God. A new beginning for us to hear God's voice and obey what He says is right. Isn't that wonderful? How many times have we held grudges toward someone even if they came to us and said they were sorry? God does not hold grudges. Even though we deserve to be punished for all we have done or do, God still forgives. He knows our heart and if we are truly sorrowful for our sins when we come to him, he forgives and loves us unconditionally. The Bible says that David fell down upon his face in great sorrow for what he had done. David knew he had messed up and needed his heart and relationship with God repaired. God's love for us continues even when we separate ourselves from him.
I know it is very hard to forget about past situations or deal with the loss of a loved one and still go on. There are so many questions of "Why" that runs in our heads. It is so difficult to start again when you are broken and hurting. You feel numb and empty, as if life itself has stopped. It's hard to see anything good ahead and you are overcome in grief. God never promised us we would forget. Instead, when we glance back at past failures, losses or pain, we see that somewhere in the middle of it all, God was and is still there. He was the one who gave us the strength to push on forward even when we didn't want to. We learned something about ourselves and recognized our need for God and for change. I have found in my own walk with God, that "I" have to take that step towards God in order for him to be able to help me. He will not push himself on us. He lovingly encourages us and gives us that unction of need but, he will let us decide which direction to take. God has the perfect path laid out ahead for us and though we have been hurt and weakened in spirit by the pain, we can still begin again. God opens doors and closes doors to bring us to that place where we should be in him.
Right now, you can take hold of this new beginning by allowing God to take control in every situation you are facing. He wants to travel that journey with you. He wants to wipe away your tears and give you hope to hang on to and not give up. He has a perfect plan...one that will be filled with trials but, they will bring strength and wisdom. Yesterday is gone, and today is a brand-new day. Sometimes, dwelling on the past is like re-living it over and over again. You'll never be able to get rid of it until you stop. The only way you can go on is to let go first and then forgive yourself and others. Next, go to God and ask him for forgiveness too. He has given you the opportunity to live another day to serve him. Once you turn over all those burdens to God, they are no longer yours; they belong to God. He will direct your life by His Holy Spirit which lives inside of you when you receive Jesus into your heart. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will lead you in a way that is totally different from what you think or expect. If you will remain patient with God, you will see and understand "why?" and it will all turn out the way it should. God does not steer us in a wrong direction. When circumstances beyond our control arise and we get off track, remember that it is exactly what the devil wants to see happen. He will do whatever it takes to prevent you from receiving God's Best. That is why you have to remain patient and let God complete his plan. He places the right desires inside your heart and when you act upon those desires by faith, God will bring it all to pass. A perfect example of this is concerning employment. If you desire a job or a better job, God will put that desire there and lead you to move forward and seek it out. When you do, he will put everyone involved in the right place at the right time and give you favor. Your only other action in all this is to remain patient and diligent with God. Your faith without wavering is what makes it all happen. When you try to step in and speed things up a bit, it doesn't work because the link is broken.....everything and everyone could not be put into its proper place in time because you decided you couldn't wait on God. Every person and every part of the plan is important. Sometimes, it takes time to get it all together. A toaster does not work until it is plugged into the outlet and then receives electricity.
Don't let the devil get you distracted as he did in David's case. David had to pay a deep price for his disobedience to God. He lost his first son with Bathsheba due to his sin. The Bible says that God took this situation with David and turned it around. David became a great and strong king and David once again found favor with God due to his change and obedience towards God. Jesus was born out of the descendants of David. The devil knew what was ahead and tried to interfere hoping to stop Jesus from being born by destroying David. David rose above and God forgave him and enabled him to start over with an even greater blessing than before. Another perfect example of this is in Job. Job was a righteous man who truly served God with all his heart, soul, mind, and spirit. The devil was testing God and told God that if he brought trials upon Job, then Job would curse God. So, God allowed the devil to do what he wanted with Job, but he was not allowed to take his life. Job's body was afflicted with horrible skin diseases and sickness and took away everything he had but Job remained faithful to God. Then the devil killed all of his children, but he still did not curse Job. God honored Job out of it all and gave him double for everything he had lost, and he was considered the richest man alive.
In order for you to be successful in your new beginning, you have to put everything that hinders you from moving forward, behind you. Remove those things from within that keep creeping up and causing you to slip backwards. Don't be overcome with fear, rather overcome the fear with God's promises and the wisdom he has given you. You can never move backward and change the past, you only have today. Recognize the problems that are there and do not run away from them...face them head-on and then push forward. Put your past behind you for good! When the devil comes along and tries to remind you of it, stop and remind him that it no longer exists! He will try his best to make you feel worthless and not worthy of God's goodness. The devil is a liar and the Bible says he is the father of all lies. You are a new creature in Christ. In IICorinthians 5:17, the Bible says...old things have passed away and behold, all things are become new. Colossians 2:13-14 says, "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross."
Jesus made the provision for complete and final forgiveness for your sins on the cross. Tough you were once separated and a stranger to God, those sins are now forgotten and never remembered, if Jesus is Lord of your life. When you are saved, your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life and you are God's child. So, remind the devil of that when he comes knocking because he has no authority over you.
A new day has come, and new blessings remain on the horizon, just waiting for you. It's a New Beginning, take it and run that race that God has placed in front of you and finish it!
God Bless You On Your Journey!
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