Podcast version available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!
We made it. We survived another year. I keep hearing the last two years described as a whole bunch of nothing, while at the same time, feeling as though we’ve all aged 20 years, emotionally.
It’s a lot. It’s been a lot.
Yet in my world, this blog in my little corner of the internet turns 2 today!
I didn’t, or I couldn’t, have anticipated what I was getting myself into in January of 2020 when I decided to share from the deepest overflow of my heart in such a public way. But I am super glad that I did.
So seeing as this is the first blog post and podcast of 2022, I thought it appropriate to share some biblical inspo for new beginnings.
Regardless of how weary, worn out, weepy, frustrated, flustered, or furious we may feel, I firmly believe that God IS doing a new thing. And we are invited to be a part of it!
Let’s explore these verses together.
Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!
– Genesis 1:31
This might seem like an odd place to kick off, but it’s foundational for us to recognize that all God makes is GOOD…
If, from the very beginning, as God reflected on the world He created and could see that it was very good, then, we can be confident knowing that whatever God does, it is good. So if you are following Him, He has good planned for you too.
In our current context, do you ever find it hard to distinguish between good and bad because of all the grey areas and nuances that must be considered? I absolutely do. But when it comes to God, He is always good. And all God does is always good. If we start there, we can’t lose. Even as life gets messy and confusing, there is an undercurrent of peace available to us when we seek out and recognize God’s goodness in our lives.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
– Ecclesiastes 3:11
Does that encourage you? That God has made ALL things beautiful in their own time? There’s hope in that! If what you’re facing isn’t beautiful now, it just means it ain’t over yet. It will get there because God really does make all things beautiful in their time.
I’ve always loved the part about how God sets eternity in people’s hearts. Meaning, He created us with an eternal mindset. If you find yourself longing for more than what you see around you, just know that that longing was put inside you by God on purpose! An eternal perspective. An otherworldly approach to this life that looks past the heartache of the circumstance for what God is doing in the bigger picture.
The verse ends with a reminder that none of us could fully know what God is really up to. Sure, He offers us glimpses, but it will only fully be revealed in His time. That’s why faith is so critical. Faith that God is truly making everything beautiful in its time.
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
– Lamentations 3:22-24
Other translations say that we are not completely wiped out, not completely destroyed, not exhausted… all because of God’s love for us.
Does this resonate with you? Have you ever felt so close to the end of yourself and ready to give up, but somehow, inexplicably, the Lord sustained you? When you should have been flat on the floor, He lifted you up, strengthening and equipping you to somehow carry on?
It IS possible. And each morning is an opportunity to experience His mercy and grace and faithfulness anew. Let’s wait for Him to move, and show up, and refresh in 2022.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
– Isaiah 43:18-19
If you’re like me, forgetting the former things, and not dwelling on the past is no easy task. But searching intently for the new thing God is doing really helps!
And knowing He is working something out in the wilderness and wasteland, specifically, should be refreshing in and of itself, because it gives purpose to those places in our lives that feel too far gone for anything to possibly be salvaged there. But that’s where God does His best work. And that’s what fills us with hope.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
– 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
If this doesn’t help reset our perspectives to a heavenly one, I don’t know what will!
We can absolutely acknowledge the struggle and how real it is. The wasting away can feel inescapable right now. But we don’t lose heart! And why? Because God promises to renew us each day. What is difficult in this season, will result in eternal glory a zillion times better than whatever we’re facing now.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new life into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
– 1 Peter 1:3
Every once in awhile, I realize, as if for the first time, what a big deal God’s plan of salvation really is.
Recently, my sons and I had a conversation about grace and mercy. And it was really special for me to watch as they began to understand some of the profound beauty of God’s mercy: the forgiveness of sin. That the punishment for sin is actually withheld, and grace is offered in its place. Grace: that unexpected, free gift of NEW LIFE offered to anyone who believes. It really is amazing when you think about it!
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”
– Revelation 21:4-5
We started in Genesis, so it’s only appropriate to end in Revelation.
Friends, at the end of the story, God wins. And as His children, we get to win too. He really will make everything new. Whatever plagues us, burdens us, or grieves today, it will be gone. And not just gone, but forgotten as we read in previous verses. This is because we’ll be too captivated by our awesome God to dwell on former things any longer. The old order of things will pass away. Our God is seated on the throne and can always be trusted because He is always faithful to keep His promise to His children.
What’s in the Ears
Do you have a favourite scripture that has encouraged you to look forward to new things? Share it with me in the comments and pass this on to a friend if it has encouraged you. Happy New Year!
Podcast version available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor!
From The Overflow 