“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:18-19
“You have a great God who loves you and cares about you. Be full of hope that something good can happen to you. God is a master at new beginnings. He loves fresh beginnings, He makes all things new.” Joyce Meyer
- It’s Monday and time to pray with your prayer partner. If you don’t have someone as a designated prayer partner, call a friend right now and pray with her for 10 minutes. Take turns praying for each other. Remember that you are moving heaven as you pray!
- It’s time to meet with your beloved Jesus! Grab your Bible, a pen, a journal or sheets of paper, something hot to drink, and a beautiful smelling candle. Take a deep breath. Calm your heart and mind. Focus your thoughts on Jesus and the truth that He loves you and longs for you to trust Him with every area of your life.
- Read Psalm 147:3, Psalm 103:2-4, and Isaiah 43: 18-19. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about the great hope that you have in your Jesus.
Jesus Makes All Things New!
New beginnings. Fresh starts. Clean slates. New Year, new you. Oh, how we all long for the New Year to bring changes to our lives, especially in the places of our hearts where pain resides. We look to the next 365 days in hopes that God will bring the needed change, right the wrongs, and heal the wounds.
There is a longing in all of us to change certain areas of our lives, and we desperately need Jesus to intervene and restore our hearts. We pray the same prayers over and over and cry out to God for His help and answers, but still, we must wait. We wait, and we wait, and we wait… Are you like me and waiting on God for some unanswered prayer, a yearning deep within your heart?
Over the years, God has taught me to rest where He has placed me, even though I may not like the place in which I reside. I am learning that the key to maintaining my joy during the waiting season is to remember that my God is good, and He goes to great lengths to show me His love each and every day. Oh, if I would but notice His goodness and little gifts to me as I wait, I would maintain my joy and not allow myself to feel hopeless. I may not be getting what I want, but if I look closely enough, I can still see His good hand in my life orchestrating for me the sweet symphony of His love.
I have learned that the waiting seasons of our lives can truly be sweet. We may even enjoy a blessed time of fellowship with our Lord as we wait. When we wait, we wait in hope. Jesus hears every prayer and holds every one of our tears close to His heart.
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8 NLT).
Only God can do that! The maker of the heavens and the earth holds every tear we cry. He knows every longing and fills every empty place with His great love. He also brings great things to those who wait. Indeed, He makes all things new in time! If we would but give up our sorrows and our longings to Him, trusting that He heals and brings hope in His perfect timing, our hearts would feel encouraged. We may feel all is lost, but be assured the opposite is true! The Almighty God has His great plans, and everything happens in His perfect timing.
In my life, I have had a deep longing for the Lord to heal my heart from the loss of my mom emotionally at the tender age of 10 and physically at the age of 20. I know I still have issues that make it challenging for me to move forward in certain areas of my life, but I am so grateful for the hope that Jesus brings.
He has cared for me over and over and has been a mom to me in every season of my life: He was there when I planned our wedding, during the birth and raising of our children, and even now in the empty-nest season of my life. Jesus has never left me and has heard every plea of my heart. He truly has been with me every step of the way and orchestrated a completely different life for me, which has far surpassed my expectations! He is so good!
Dear sister, if you feel lost as the New Year approaches because of unmet expectations, a troubled child, a crumbling marriage, mountains of debt, or simply a feeling of being far away from God, take heart; our God has new things in store for you! He is the Master of miracles and loves to surprise His children as they wait in faith, resting in His loving care.
No matter what your thoughts may tell you, the truth is that God wants to make all things new in your life. You may feel sorrow from loss or hurt right now. You may find yourself waking up in the middle of the night wondering how this upsetting situation could have overtaken your life and asking God over and over, “Why did this have to happen?” Be assured that your God is in the habit of making all things new, and has your miracle on its way!
If you find yourself faced with unanswered prayers, pray and ask God to help you give up control and relinquish your life completely to Him. The quickest way to see God at work in your life is to simply rest where He has you and continue praying in faith. Giving up our expectations releases the grace of God and opens our eyes to see all of the ways He cares for us. Don’t ever give up!
Remember, that is why our precious baby Jesus came—to right
Blessings and Love,
Deb
Questions to Ponder
- Pray and ask God to show you any places in your life that you are not giving over to Him. Ask Him to help you release control and rest in His care. Write what God tells you in your journal.
Faith-Filled Ideas
Speak words of life and faith over your particular situation. Pray and ask God to give you a tongue that speaks life (Proverbs 18:21). Ignore the voices of doubt in your mind, which are usually spoken to you from Satan and speak words from the Scriptures to fuel your faith instead of critical and fear- based words. For example, if your child has been getting into trouble constantly, and you are at your wits end, begin to say things to your child that help align you with the promises of God’s Word. Catch your child being good as much as possible. Say things like, “I know you didn’t mean to do that. You have such a sweet heart,” or, “I noticed that you were very patient with your brother when he fell. You are so kind!”
Write this positive quote in dry-erase marker on your bathroom mirror to remind you to call out the good: “Shout out the voices and press on in faith and joy. This is the greatest gift you can give your child.” Christie Frieg
I remember going into my daughter's room night after night and kneeling beside her bed and crying my heart out to God because I didn’t know how to be a Christian mom; I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. You know what? God is so faithful! He answered me and simply said, “Spend time with me, Deb.” And so I did. I began arising 15-30 minutes earlier each day so I could read my Bible and pray, and plan out my day with my family.
If there was one thing I would love to share with you is that God is personal and loves you as you are. You don’t have to be perfect to be loved by our amazing God! Come as you are! His loving presence can be practically known and experienced. He is not a God who is far away, He is near and easily found. He longs for you to come to Him!
Randy and I have been married for 33 years and we have two grown children, Christie, and Jack, and one answer to prayer son-in-law named Alex. And now I get to be a Gigi to my sweet little grandbabies, Aspen and Skylar, and Piper. Yay!
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