January 25, 2017
When God Does a New Thing
Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Friend to Friend
I admit, I’m a sucker for the makeover shows. It doesn’t matter what kind… home makeovers, fashion makeovers… or even the shows that take a person from drab to fab. I just love to see an amazing transformation! Don’t you?
A few years ago we “transformed” our family a bit when we added a bouncy little puppy to the mix. Fun, right? Mostly, yes, but there is a bit more to the story…
Let’s just say that it took a good while for our precious new barky addition to get the hang of potty training and healthy chewing patterns. Our little, little dog caused us big, big problems when he chewed up and stained our family room carpet.
It. Looked. Awful.
And accidents happened repeatedly for months and months that seemed like years and years!
Eventually, when he grew into his bladder and learned better doggy habits, I was ready for a makeover of a carpet-kind for my munched-on, stained-up family room. So I went to the home improvement store, ordered new carpet, and waited with excitement for installation day.
When new-carpet day finally came, I watched the installers painstakingly remove the old flooring layer by layer. First they pulled back and removed the stained, chewed up carpet. Then they tore out the worn down old pad and put all the nasty, soiled carpet and padding in their van to take to the dump. Thank you!
Next they cleared away the remaining debris – cleaned the entire area – and installed the fresh flooring. A fluffy new foundation of padding and carpet! It was a beautiful transformation and I was giddy with gratitude.
The whole process reminded me of this truth: God is all about beautiful transformations.
He is an active, deeply personal, infinitely caring God who restores us on a heart level with makeovers of a masterful kind. When we turn to Him in repentance, He takes the broken, stained areas of our lives away and replaces our mess with a beauty that is far beyond ourselves – the beauty of Christ.
The Bible has a great deal to say about what happens when we turn to God:
“Those who look to him are radiant; they are never covered in shame.” Psalm 34:5
“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
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Listen, friend, I am living proof of the scandalous nature of God’s grace … of His willingness to forgive and restore ugly, tattered heart places. I don’t write from a platform of perfection, but from a foundation of grace that was finished and established by the blood of Jesus Christ.
He gave His life so that you and I could live beyond our pasts – beyond our disappointments – beyond our biggest mistakes and our deepest pains. He bore a cross so we could be forgiven and made new. So we could have abundant life. Full life. Not a held-back-by-the-stains-and-shames-of-your-past life.
I don’t know where this finds you right now, but God does.
He knows and sees everything – and He loves you like crazy.
We all have brokenness that needs fixingand stains that need to be cleaned. We all need a makeover! The good news of the Gospel is simple: when we call out to God and seek His heart and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, He does a new thing! He meets us with mercy, forgives completely, blesses us with grace that we don’t deserve.
Are you ready for the Lord to do a new thing in your life today?
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I’m so grateful that You love makeovers as much as I do! You know my heart, my messes, failures, and wounds. Please create a clean heart in me today and do a new and beautiful thing in my life.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.
Now it’s Your Turn
Happy New Year! Are you ready to move forward in God’s fresh grace today? Click over to my blog and leave a comment that says, “I’m ready for a new thing!” While you’re there, check out the photo of my precious, problematic puppy and take a moment to listen to the song Broken into Beautiful.
Is there someone you know who needs to read this message? Forward this email. Post it on your social media sites. Share the hope of healing.
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Originally published Wednesday, 25 January 2017.
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