A New Day

Above is a picture of a beautiful sunrise welcoming the beginning of another new day. Today is my birthday. The Lord has given me another year of life which I am very grateful for. I was sitting outside this morning having my quiet time in devotions and prayer. The sun was shining and the sky was so blue. I said to myself, "I have been given a new day and another year." And then I began thanking the Lord for new days, new beginnings and fresh starts.

When we sin and mess up, God doesn't say to us, "now that you have messed things up you must go back to the very beginning and start again." No, He just says, stop right there and repent and continue moving forward from that point. Don't fall for the lie that you have come so far for nothing and that it was all in vain. This is a lie from the enemy.

I am so thankful that God's mercies are new every morning. When we repent, God hears us and comes running to meet us right where we are at. Have you been caught up with the issues of life? Have you fallen down in the dirt and maybe laid there awhile. Just get up my friend. God will meet you there and will never reject you.

Listen to the words of Paul and what he said about himself, "I am the worst of all sinners, but this is why God has had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst of sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life. (1Tim. 1:15-16 paraphrased).

Most of us will beat ourselves up and fret about issues that are nothing in comparison with some of Paul's sinful issues. Paul is telling us that God's saving mercy and Jesus patience is greater than any sin in our lives. Paul even acknowledges that he still falls short, which you can read about in (Rom. 7:21-25 and Rom. 8:1-2).

When you believe that you have fallen short my friend don't start moving backwards. Stop, right there. Acknowledge your sin, repent and move forward. It is gone the very moment that you confess. So don't keep thinking about it and churning it over and over in your mind. Whatever your situation might be, you have been given permission to be free and move forward. If Paul who was the worst of all sinners can acknowledge his imperfections and shortcomings, and forget those things that are behind, than so can you. Take comfort in Paul's words. "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven (Phil. 3:12-14 N.L.T.)
It is time to move forward my friend and embrace a new day, a new beginning, a fresh start and stop dwelling on the sins of yesterday, and set yourself free. Because of the cross of Jesus, He doesn't remember your sins any more thus neither should you.