New Beginnings
By: J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
1/05/2020
For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again… (Proverbs 24:16)
The New Year is traditionally a time of high resolves and emotional commitments. When we turn the calendar page from one year to the next, we naturally think of new beginnings…fresh starts…a chance to try again. Whatever difficulties and despairs, failures and flaws, that filled the previous twelve months are consciously pushed to the back of our minds as we confidently press forward with private promises to do better.
While such New Year’s resolutions are often short-lived, there is an element of biblical truth in the concept of new beginnings. Has it ever occurred to you that God hardwired the potential for new beginnings into the very design of the universe? Think about it. The first person to invent the wheel only discovered what God had already designed, for God created things in circles.
The stars and planets are round, they move in orbital cycles. And life, as a result, moves in cycles as well. Every one hundred years, we have a new century. Every 365 days, we have a new year. Every twenty-four hours we have a new day. Every 60 minutes we have a new hour.
And there is a good reason for this. We all need the occasional do-over. Indeed, every hero of Scripture needed new beginnings: Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit; Moses after he killed the Egyptian; David after his adulterous relationship and murderous conspiracy; Elijah after his emotional breakdown in the desert; the disciples after Good Friday; Peter after his shameless denials…
What about you? Do you need a fresh start? The great thing about God’s grace is that it never runs out. Though we may fall time after time, God will always be there to welcome us home. Where sin abounds, grace always abounds much more (Rom 5:20). When we are weak, God’s strength is always there to lift us up (2 Cor 12:9-10).
As you look ahead at the New Year, let me encourage you to do two things. First, make sure you have a relationship with the Lord. This can only come by faith alone in Christ alone, who died and rose again for your sins. If you have never received Christ as your Savior, now is the time to settle this issue once and for all. “Today is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait. We are not promised another tomorrow.
Second, if you have already trusted Christ for salvation, let me remind you that God is a God of second chances. Rest in His grace and allow Him to encourage you, lead you, and guide you throughout the coming year. Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29–30)
Happy New Year!
1/05/2020
For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again… (Proverbs 24:16)
The New Year is traditionally a time of high resolves and emotional commitments. When we turn the calendar page from one year to the next, we naturally think of new beginnings…fresh starts…a chance to try again. Whatever difficulties and despairs, failures and flaws, that filled the previous twelve months are consciously pushed to the back of our minds as we confidently press forward with private promises to do better.
While such New Year’s resolutions are often short-lived, there is an element of biblical truth in the concept of new beginnings. Has it ever occurred to you that God hardwired the potential for new beginnings into the very design of the universe? Think about it. The first person to invent the wheel only discovered what God had already designed, for God created things in circles.
The stars and planets are round, they move in orbital cycles. And life, as a result, moves in cycles as well. Every one hundred years, we have a new century. Every 365 days, we have a new year. Every twenty-four hours we have a new day. Every 60 minutes we have a new hour.
And there is a good reason for this. We all need the occasional do-over. Indeed, every hero of Scripture needed new beginnings: Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit; Moses after he killed the Egyptian; David after his adulterous relationship and murderous conspiracy; Elijah after his emotional breakdown in the desert; the disciples after Good Friday; Peter after his shameless denials…
What about you? Do you need a fresh start? The great thing about God’s grace is that it never runs out. Though we may fall time after time, God will always be there to welcome us home. Where sin abounds, grace always abounds much more (Rom 5:20). When we are weak, God’s strength is always there to lift us up (2 Cor 12:9-10).
As you look ahead at the New Year, let me encourage you to do two things. First, make sure you have a relationship with the Lord. This can only come by faith alone in Christ alone, who died and rose again for your sins. If you have never received Christ as your Savior, now is the time to settle this issue once and for all. “Today is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait. We are not promised another tomorrow.
Second, if you have already trusted Christ for salvation, let me remind you that God is a God of second chances. Rest in His grace and allow Him to encourage you, lead you, and guide you throughout the coming year. Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29–30)
Happy New Year!
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