New Beginnings - Pt. 1

 

Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him la new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. (Psalm 33:1-5 ESV).

 

New beginnings can give us a sense of hope and joy. Newly married couples radiate happiness on their wedding day. Choosing a new place to live is often an exciting adventure. There's a certain energy that accompanies the start of a new school year. Of course, we celebrate the new year with parties, cheers, and even fireworks. This may not be the case for you this year. I sent a few texts out on New Year’s Day wishing everyone a wonderful year. In fact, I wrote that I hoped it would be the “best ever.” One person answered, “It probably won’t be, but it’s probably worth sticking around to find out.” Well… that brought me to our reading today for a few devotionals to encourage you in your journey.

 

God designed creation to give us a similar sense of hope and joy. Before sin entered the world, creation radiated God's justice, faithfulness, and love. God's word, by which the heavens and the earth were created, gave structure and meaning to all created things. At times, we still catch glimpses of this beauty and joy in creation. We marvel at the smooth sand on our favorite beach. We watch the sun set over the water. We wonder at the complex patterns of frost etched on our windowpanes in winter. We admire the fresh snow blanketing trees in our yard or neighborhood. And when spring comes, we are delighted with the first blade of grass or the first blooming flower.

 

Too often, though, in the pain of life we hurry through our days, and we miss the creative majesty of God at work. What's new soon becomes old, and we feel no reason to offer praise or even take notice. As you enter this new year, ask God to help you instead to observe something new each day about his unfailing love in creation. You won’t be disappointed with the creative genius of God. Everyday is full of these little vignettes of hope. Be intentional and look for them! After all, it is true that new beginnings are often disguised as painful endings!