THE OLD IS ENDING - THE NEW HAS COME!

2013 has come and gone, and 2014 has freshly emerged on the ever-changing scenery of our lives. I don’t know about you, but the new year always seems to bring with it a heart of reflection and contemplation in my life.

A brand spanking new year comes with a bit of ambivalence for me. On one hand 2013 is over and all the opportunities I missed to walk in obedience, to love others or just plain do better have come and gone. I cannot go back and fix the wrong things I said and did or the right things I neglected to say or do in 2013…that ship has sailed.

I think most of us have regrets for 2013 - I know I do. Places where I chose my way and not His, times that I cared too much about what didn’t matter and cared too little about the things that did. I’ve certainly had my share of failures and disappointments; perhaps you did too. But since that chapter of our lives has been penned already, what do we do with the regrets that seem to lurk in the background of everything we do?

The apostle Paul knew something about regret as well. He had been the direct cause of the imprisonment and death of countless followers of Christ. His life was infamous, but not in a good way. It would’ve been easy for him to have lived his days in the shadow of his failures. Instead he made a surprising choice, and in doing so, he also gave us a beautiful example to follow in Philippians 3:13-14: “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is saying in the original Greek that he forgets and neglects those things that are behind him and he e-x-t-e-n-d-s and s—t—r—e—t—c—h—e—s forward to those things that lie ahead. A critical choice lay before him; to spend his time focusing on his failures or to receive the clean slate that only Christ could offer. Philippians 3 clearly declares his decision. We too are faced with Paul’s critical choice…we can either focus on our past mistakes OR we can press on to all that lies just around the bend

Although we’ve missed the mark in 2013, we’ll be given NEW opportunities to walk in obedience, to love others and just plain do better! God in His infinite wisdom (and mercy) gives us a fresh chance and not just on January first! We can resolve to begin again during any season we happen to find ourselves in. In fact, His Word promises in Lamentations 3:22-23: “The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…”.  So we can be assured that His compassions (and along with it our clean slate) are new and available with the dawn of each new day. A fresh beginning is ours for the asking because of His great sacrifice! And all we need to do is to come before Him with repentant hearts and our failures are forgiven. Oh the joy of a new beginning that can only be found in Him! And praise God, it is always available no matter what the calendar declares!

Today may we choose to relinquish the failures and disappointments and celebrate the blessings that have been 2013, but then resolve to keep pressing forward; keep stretching toward all that our Father’s hand holds for us in 2014! And may we have an undaunted confidence that no matter what lies around the bend for us we will not face it alone; as He was faithfully with us in 2013, He will be right beside us for each and every moment of this budding year. In fact, every year, every day, every moment spent on this earth, His sweet presence is here with us and that should fill our hearts with an untouchable peace.

Along with contemplation, January also brings out a desire in me to p-e-e-k into the coming year. What lies ahead for us, I do not know. I’m sure that there will be some valleys and disappointments, some new trials that will test our resolve and circumstances that will s-t-r-e-t-c-h us…but there will also be times of rejoicing and seasons of growth and fruitfulness. One thing we can be sure of though - we will not leave 2014 unchanged! Just as 2013 has altered who we are, 2014 will shape and mold us as well. But we can be satisfied that every moment gets filtered through His hands of love. And may we remind our hearts that our Father knows what is lacking and yet undone in us, and in His great love and faithfulness, He will send what is needed. May we have hearts to see His tell-tale signs and embrace each divine gift: those that are brightly wrapped, as well as those that come to us packaged in the darker hues…knowing full well that each one comes from a loving heart that is working out all things for our eventual good.

Today, precious ones, may our hearts fully know that He approaches with the dawn of this unsullied year, a year that is brimming with hope and promise! His precious grace blankets the past like freshly fallen snow that covers the surface of everything in its path. The old is ending…the new is coming…may we rejoice in both!