A lot of people use the phrase "New Year, New Me" when they bring in the new year in order to describe impending changes or resolutions they're planning on making in their lives. Some people use it mockingly, thinking it's a silly phrase that doesn't hold meaning after several weeks into a new year. But what if we took a moment to look at this phrase biblically? Something that I want to focus on in 2017 is remembering these new beginnings and recalling the promise that the Lord has made. If we trust in Him and come to Him daily, He'll make us new. Here's 11 verses that I'm holding myself to remembering in the midst of this New Year:
1. Isaiah 43:19: "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
He's making us new each day, no matter what our circumstances.
2. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
He gives us hope each day; even though we may not know what this plan entails, He's outside of time. He knows exactly what tomorrow (and next month and next year) will hold for us--we need only believe.
3. Lamentations 3:23-24: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies are new each day. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"
No matter how big of a mess we may have made in our past, today (and this year) is new. When we turn to Him for forgiveness, He wipes our slate clean, refusing to hold our past against us. He continually loves us, and nothing can change that.
4. Isaiah 40:31: "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
If we fully trust in Him, we will never be weary. We will always have the strength we need when we have our God.
5. Psalm 5:3: "My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct my prayer to you, and I will look up."
I want to start each day with prayer, fresh and new. In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus.
6. Ezekiel 36:36: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
This year, remember that He is continually working on you (and within you) in order to make you and your heart new. Keep pursuing to live a life that reflects Him in all you do.
7. Psalm 37:7: "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes."
Patience truly is a virtue. It can be difficult to await His blessings, but seeking hope through Him is all you could ever need. He will act.
8. Ecclesiastes 3:11: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
God's timing is perfect. Even if we cannot comprehend His plan for our future, He promises that it will be beautiful and blessed, no matter how difficult.
9. Isaiah 66:9: "I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord."
If you've been battling something painful or difficult lately, here's what you need to know: He won't let you endure trial without ensuring that something better is just around the corner. Remain faithful and watch His goodness take hold of your heart.
10. Esther 4:14: "Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created."
If we continue to be faithful to God, He will show Himself to us in numerous ways. This year, believe that He will use you and your faith to do incredible and beautiful things.
11. Matthew 28:20: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
He will never leave us, never forsake us. No matter what this New Year brings, choose to remember His promises for you. He loves you with an unconditional and unending love.
