Fresh Starts
By Susan Klein
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Lamentation 3:22-23 (NLT)
By Susan Klein
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Lamentation 3:22-23 (NLT)
What image comes to your mind when you hear
the words “fresh start”? Perhaps it is a picture of a farmer in the springtime,
tilling the earth to cultivate the hard, dry, top crust and bringing up the
rich, dark, nutrient-laden soil beneath before planting his new crop. Or, maybe
it’s that of a person relocating to a new city and a new job, getting a fresh
start in a different place. It could even be the image of a prisoner who has
been incarcerated for many long years, has finally served his term, and is now
walking through the gate to freedom. He has paid his debt to society and has
been given the chance to have a fresh start in life.
Have you ever longed for a fresh start in your life? Maybe you’ve had a broken relationship that was never mended and you wish you had another chance to work things out. Or, perhaps you’ve made some costly decisions or choices, and you wish you could make them over again. I think we’ve all had times like these in our lives. Sometimes we get past them, but occasionally the regret hangs on so tight that we feel as if we might just suffocate! We wonder how God could possibly love us or forgive us when we’ve made such a mess of things.
“If only I could have a fresh start...”
God’s Word tells us that His mercies begin afresh each morning! Not just once a year or once in a lifetime, but He wipes the slate clean each and every morning. What a wonderful way to wake up each day! We don’t have to be burdened with the transgressions of our past, but rather, like the incarcerated man who has been released, we can walk through the gate to freedom! Unlike that man, though, we have no sentence to serve. Jesus served it for us when He chose to hang on the cross in our place. We were forgiven of all our sins - past, present and future. We were given a “fresh start.” All we have to do is believe it, and accept it. It’s that simple!
GOING DEEPER:
1. As soon as your eyes open tomorrow morning, while you are still snug under the covers, focus your mind on God’s mercies that are fresh for the day! Have a little pre-getting-up chat with the Father. In what specific way do you need to experience His mercy today?
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 1: 3-4; Numbers 6: 24-26; Ezekiel 36: 26-27; Hebrews 4:16; Psalm 25:6-7
Have you ever longed for a fresh start in your life? Maybe you’ve had a broken relationship that was never mended and you wish you had another chance to work things out. Or, perhaps you’ve made some costly decisions or choices, and you wish you could make them over again. I think we’ve all had times like these in our lives. Sometimes we get past them, but occasionally the regret hangs on so tight that we feel as if we might just suffocate! We wonder how God could possibly love us or forgive us when we’ve made such a mess of things.
“If only I could have a fresh start...”
God’s Word tells us that His mercies begin afresh each morning! Not just once a year or once in a lifetime, but He wipes the slate clean each and every morning. What a wonderful way to wake up each day! We don’t have to be burdened with the transgressions of our past, but rather, like the incarcerated man who has been released, we can walk through the gate to freedom! Unlike that man, though, we have no sentence to serve. Jesus served it for us when He chose to hang on the cross in our place. We were forgiven of all our sins - past, present and future. We were given a “fresh start.” All we have to do is believe it, and accept it. It’s that simple!
GOING DEEPER:
1. As soon as your eyes open tomorrow morning, while you are still snug under the covers, focus your mind on God’s mercies that are fresh for the day! Have a little pre-getting-up chat with the Father. In what specific way do you need to experience His mercy today?
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 1: 3-4; Numbers 6: 24-26; Ezekiel 36: 26-27; Hebrews 4:16; Psalm 25:6-7
Susan
is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers.
She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also
involved in inner city outreach.
