New
See, I make all things new! Revelation 21:5
Who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of something completely, brand-spanking new? Surprises are wonderful, and the end of the year abounds with them. The intensive purchases, preparations and celebrations of December poise us naturally for the expectation of the New Year. Something mysterious, unpredictable, and singular is on the way. Even the most cynical still silently hope the coming year better than the last.
There’s a joy that accompanies freshness, whether it be found through tangible acquisition or simply a shift in circumstances. We are creatures biologically primed for adventure, challenge and change, so the sudden adrenaline rush that comes from the unexpected is just what the doctor ordered. We often bemoan the random and vicious curves life can throw at us, but when existence offers nothing to spur us on, it’s equally dangerous.
The New Year is upon us. Even amid our current Covid hang-over, it’s impossible not to look ahead with some delight. Last night, though I went to bed much earlier, I woke from sleep to watch the clock tick 11:57, 11:58, 59, 12:00 midnight. Hello, 2022! I cherish the turnover as a holy, significant moment, a spiritual marker that should not be ignored. Firing up my computer this morning, my heart thrilled again at the 2022-01-01 on the taskbar. The sensation is like opening a pristine new scribbler, still stiff from the factory. What will be written on the pages? As the focus shifts abruptly off the defunct year, the potentiality of the calendar stacked before us is intoxicating.
As we face 2022, do we even know what we want? Do we have the conviction to pursue things that are more salubrious, profitable or sustainable? We may focus on our desire, but a more superior question by far is “Lord, what do you have for us this year? What I should be asking for?” If you want to get ahead in life and spiritual growth, it's wise to know what the prevailing anointing from Heaven actually is. What new thing is the Lord doing on the earth right now? What is the Kingdom of Heaven dishing out? Am I cooperating with the virtue surrounding me? Developing that sharpened mindset, that kingdom mindfulness, is the cutting edge, keeping us refreshed and satisfied. As life in the Spirit unfurls, it is vital, vivid and victorious. Strangely, it always makes life feel new.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
New mercies every morning. How delicious! How invigorating to live 2022 in the light of that revelation. When are we going to grasp the fact that “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning”? (Psalm 30:5). Every day I breathe was formed, long ago, for my ownership and gratification. We may treat these kinds of scriptures as poetic platitudes, but they are not. This is the flow of grace; bespoke endowments of strength, joy, love and a thousand other virtues simply waiting for their beneficiaries to claim.
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah. Psalm 68:19
As we head into another year with no pandemic resolution, it’s easy to be skeptical about how much positive change and joyful newness we might see. Without realizing it, our hearts are steeled against more calamity. Like Solomon, our silently sour musing might be “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:19). It takes an authentic act of faith, a daily choice to believe that the Lord has plans for “good and not for evil; to give (us) a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Bursting into January, we chose our own mindset, attitude, and ultimately, altitude. At the very least, let’s be deliberate, not defaulted. Will we walk with the Lord on high places, dream dreams, see visions, prophecy and prosper, or wallow in the ditches with the rest of the disillusioned? Our joyful expectation is what opens our eyes to moving miracles, timely anointings, potentialities and other redemptive opportunities that bitterness, fear and resentment blind us to.
Welcome to 2022; a time of unlimited possibilities. Don’t worry! Be happy! What does negativity accomplish anyway? Daily gratitude is the joyful key to unlocking the secrets ahead of us.
Lord, help us to be positive about life and encouraging to the endeavors of one another. Give us the power to change the atmosphere everywhere we go with the Spirit we carry. Happy New Year!
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19
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