God of New Beginnings
Monday Reflection – 2017
See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered. Isaiah 65:17
There are some persons who enjoy sameness and do not like when what they have become accustomed to is disturbed or disrupted. Many of such persons fear change and prefer the familiar and comfort zone. On the other hand, there are persons who do not like the same old way and are always pursuing change and newness. They are dissatisfied with the regular and ordinary and love to push for another way, a new way, and hopefully a better way towards a brighter future. This approach requires some level of risk-taking and launching out, sometimes not even sure of what the results will be.
The Bible reveals a God who is always about new beginnings. Several times in Scripture we hear God echoing the words of today’s Watchword to forget the things of old, for he is about to do something new. The past is but the prelude.
In Isaiah 65, God promises to punish the wicked and reward the faithful; he declares judgement for the disobedient and salvation to those who are obedient. The faithful will benefit from the new thing that God is doing. God’s new creation is accompanied by gladness and rejoicing, delight and long life, productivity and prosperity, peace and protection, and God’s favour and blessings.
The God of new beginnings:
- Invites us to open our hearts and eyes with great expectancy for the new things that he is always doing.God is never a stale, ordinary or static God; instead he is always engaged in creating new things, new experiences and new opportunities. Lamentations 3: 22-23 affirms that God’s mercies are new every morning.
- Calls us out of the regular, familiar, comfort zone spaces and experiences and into the new experiences that he has created.The Israelites left Egypt destined for the long-awaited Promised Land but when faced with the challenges of the wilderness, they wanted to go back to Egypt. God had already prepared this new place for them to inherit yet they had not seen the vision. Peter jumped out of the boat and began to walk on water at the stunning invitation of Jesus. What a great and new experience he was having! However, he began to sink when he lost sight of Jesus. The disciples returned to their fishing industry after the crucifixion of Jesus not recognizing that it was through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that they would establish the greatest religious movement ever. Jesus had spent three and a half years preparing them for this new movement that he had created. It was not until the Pentecostal outpouring that they realized the magnitude of the new movement that they have entered in.
What an appropriate Watchword text as we begin another Advent – the first Season in the Church’s calendar year! In this Season we remember the first Advent when the Christ came among humans as a child. What a powerful new thing! We also anticipate the Second Advent when Christ will return as King and Judge. This will most certainly be an awesome new thing! This Season recognizes the God of new beginnings and affirms that God is always doing a new thing among us.
As we have entered this Advent Season, may we not just wait, but do so with great expectancy and open hearts and eyes to the new things that God is doing. May we also march forth with renewed faith to experience God’s new frontiers on our behalf.
I have been blessed by the song “Don’t Do It Without Me” by Paul S. Morton. I offer these simple words to you:
Lord whatever you’re doing in this season
Please don’t do it without me
Don’t do it without me.
Lord if you’re healing, healing in this season
Please don’t do it without me
Don’t do it without me.
Lord if you’re blessing, blessing in this season
Please don’t do it without me
Don’t do it without me.
Till next week, look ahead with great optimism and maximize God’s new opportunities in this new season.
Jermaine Gibson