It's A New Year!

Lamentations 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The first day of the new year is awesome, you wake up thinking this is a fresh start, a new beginning and by 9:00 a.m. you've blown it. Do you have to wait for the next new year's morning to start anew? God asks, "How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" Galatians 3:3

Having a relationship with God is not like going on a diet...once you've eaten that brownie a la mode, you may as well say forget it to your diet plans and keep eating anything in sight, right? That's not how it works with God... He knows your heart's desire is to please Him and He knows that your flesh is evil and wants to harm you and destroy your best intentions. God reminds us that Jesus faced all of the same trials and temptations and "since, therefore, the children (of God) share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil." Hebrews 2:14

God is merciful, ready to forgive and ready to start again even when we feel we have failed. Satan would have you believe, it is finished, you're done, there's no turning back to God, you may as well keep sinning. However, God reminds us that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Guilt is from the devil and conviction is from God. When we're feeling guilty and shameful for our sinful acts, we must put those thoughts away and know that God does not treat us that way. He will however, convict us, to bring attention to our sinful actions, with the intention of bringing us back into a right relationship with Him. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some would count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

Our flesh requires instant gratification for the things it desires, it always leaves us empty and with certain consequences. This saying paints a great picture of sin: Sin takes us further than we want to go, leaves us longer than we want to stay and costs us more than we can ever pay. Romans 7:18 speaks of the flesh, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out." God provides a way of escape, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." Romans 13:14

Closing Thoughts:

Today is a new day, this is a new moment, take each breath as a fresh start to call out to our Heavenly Father; He will direct your steps, light your paths and when you stumble, He will be waiting for you to come back to Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.