New Beginning, Resurrection, Regeneration

Praise the Lord!!! This year is moving right along, some may say very quickly, and some may say not fast enough with all the drama going on! But Halleluiah here we are, we made it to August, the 8th month of the year.

I'm grateful, excited and expecting a move of God in the coming months. Yes, the first part of the year has been tough for nearly everyone. But I am sensing that some people will receive a new beginning, some will have some dormant dreams and things that they thought had died resurrected, and some will receive regeneration in their lives in several areas.

​One of my most favorite passages of scripture is Genesis 1:1-3. "(1) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (2) The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (3) And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light." 

The passage says the Earth was without form; nothing was here but darkness. Until God spoke, and His Word touched the earth, the world really hadn’t begun. God shaped it and molded it into how He wanted it to be. Just like God created the earth and transformed darkness into light, God has the power to transform you and your life. Regardless of past sins and mistakes, God can and will forgive you and allow you a new beginning.
 
In her poem "The Land of Beginning Again", Louisa Fletcher wrote: I wish that there were some wonderful place called the Land of Beginning Again, where all our mistakes and all our heartaches and all of our poor selfish grief could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door, and never be put on again… 

We could find all the things we intended to do but forgot, and remembered too late, little praises unspoken, little promises broken, and all of the thousand and one little duties neglected that might have perfected the day for one less fortunate.

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I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I’ve made dreadful mistakes and wished that I could go back and undo, start over. Times when I've lost a loved one and didn’t know how I could go on; times when disappointment, heartache, and loss caused me to long to be somewhere where all my mistakes, heartaches, and grief could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door, and never be put on again.
 
When it comes to living life, solving problems, and making tough decisions, people want the perfect plan, but the ‘perfect plan’ doesn’t exist. No matter how hard we try, we will never please everyone or get everything just right. We make mistakes, we hurt others, and we commit sin, even when we are not trying to do so.

James 3:2 says, "Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way." (NLT) Sometimes our sins are small and seemingly insignificant, but in God’s eyes, all sin is the same because all sin is against God and results in death.

Sometimes we feel as though the sins of others or even our own sins are just too great and cause too much pain to just release them. The pain that person caused, the pain we caused, the guilt we feel is so strong that just handing it all over to Jesus seems like we are letting that person or ourselves off easy! We have not been beaten them down enough for what they’ve done! We have not beaten ourselves up enough for what we’ve done. Much more pain must be endured before forgiveness can be allowed!!
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Forgiveness is a gift from God that will allow us a new beginning. You may have done really negative things in your life, but we serve a God that specializes in transforming the negatives into positives. The Bible is full of examples of this. I believe that all of us can look back on our own lives and find examples of this truth, too. God specializes in taking what Satan does for evil and turning it into good. He specializes in second chances and new beginnings.

​The beginning is such a good place to be. I love new beginnings. I’ve made many mistakes in life, many bad decisions, and experienced many setbacks and failures, but I am quick to get up and get moving again. I cry and grieve just like anyone else, but I refuse to allow mistakes, setbacks, and failures to enslave me. I refuse to let what someone said or what someone did to me bind me up for the rest of my life.

I know that God can breathe on a situation and bring it back to life and make it better than it was. I know that God gives second chances. I know that God still performs miracles. I’ve learned that God’s word is true and that I can trust Him word to change circumstances in my life. Do you need God to resurrect something for you? Do you need a miracle? Then get this word of the Lord deep in your heart today!
 
Today, you may feel like giving up. You may have guilt from the past and pain in the present, but we serve a God that will renew your faith and restore your joy. The prophet Ezekiel was in a situation that needed a miracle (Ezekiel 37). God wanted him to know and understand that nothing is impossible to those who would dare to believe God. So, God took him to a valley full of dead human bones. The Lord asked Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Ezekiel replied, "O Lord God, You know." God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. Ezekiel spoke as instructed, and the dry bones came to life. I believe that God can resurrect the dry things, in this country and in your life! He can also resurrect things that are disconnected and disjointed.

The bones in that valley were all broken up and disjointed and scattered everywhere in the valley.
Today, God is saying, "I want to do something new in your life. I want to give you a fresh start, a new beginning. I want to resurrect your life and free you from your past sins and past mistakes. I want to give you a clean slate. Come now, let us reason together. No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. No matter how bad you think you messed up, I can make things work out for your good."

There is so much power in forgiveness and prayer. One important key to giving God the space and freedom to move in your life is forgiving yourself and forgiving others. Forgiveness opens the door for you to enjoy the benefits of the Cross that God has given us to enjoy. Are you asking the Lord for a new beginning, to resurrect, to regenerate, and to restore some things in your life? New beginnings, resurrection, regeneration, and restoration come to those who ask and step out in faith. According to Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you" It only takes a mustard seed. How big is a mustard seed? Just a little bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. Believe me, you have enough faith to begin anew. Will you step out in faith today?

​Take a moment to pray and speak life into yourself, and your situation, and leave a comment below: