The Thrill of New Beginnings
“Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19 NKJ)
1. The New Birth is the Beginning of all Beginnings.
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again” (John 3:7).
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When Saul met the resurrected Christ everything changed, his name, his nature, his message, his relationships, his mission in life and his destiny (Acts 9:1-6). I thank God that Christianity can do more than just put a new set of clothes on an addict, it can put a brand new person in that set of clothes. In the new birth you have a new master, a new nature, a new kingdom and new potential!
2. Every Day is a New Day that brings with it the Opportunity for a Fresh Start.
“The Lord’s mercies …are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
He can walk into those places of sin and failure, wipe your slate clean, make all things new and give you a brand new beginning.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
Every morning school is in session, make sure you are there to hear, learn and grow!
“He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (Isaiah 50:4b)
“So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned” (Genesis 21:8). At his birth Abraham rejoiced, but when he was weaned he had a great feast. When the child was weaned he was taken off breast feeding, not totally dependent any more. When you get to the place where you can feed yourself, pray for yourself, encourage yourself you have gone from pabulum to porterhouse. Stay hungry, the Lord has much more for us to experience!
3. Are You Ready for Your Next New Thing?
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Ships may be safe in dry dock, but that’s not what ships were made for. They were made for adventure to go over horizons to take people and cargo to new lands, peoples and places. Things were pretty boring and mundane for the disciples until they decided to follow Jesus, and when they did they never had another dull moment in their lives.
Don’t be afraid to trade your ordinary for God’s extraordinary. Let the thrill of soaring exceed your fear of falling. When was the last time you did something for the first time? The risk of risk-less living is the greatest risk of all!
Your life is made up of a series of God given assignments; every one fulfilled prepares you for the next one. With Christ it’s never the end, it’s just a bend. If you live a biblically based, eternally focused life, your vision will always be progressive, continuous, expandable and eternal.
Rejoice the Next New Thing is Here!
Yours for the Expansion of God’s Kingdom
Dr George Hill
President and Founder of Victory Churches International