A New Thing

Isaiah 43:18, 19 LAB “(What I have done in the past) is nothing compared to what I’m going to do! I’m going to do a brand new thing.”

What goes out of style will come back again. When we left Union almost 7 years ago, I threw away boxes and boxes of old phonograph records. CD's and MP3's were the rage of the day and record players were obsolete. I should have known what goes around comes around. Now old 33's are the rage and record players and turntables are making a comeback. Who would have thought?

As you contemplate the freshness of a new year, you’re tempted to quickly rejoice over God’s words to Israel. Who wouldn't want to be part of God’s “brand new thing”? You get excited as you pray for and anticipate a new work of God in your life and in the world in 2017.

Yet anyone who has ever worn beautiful new shoes may wish to think carefully about the possible consequences of new things. The shoes looked so good when you tried them on, and you even made sure they were the right size, but walking all day in that new purchase frequently gives us second thoughts. And all of us who start a new diet in the new year know that discouragement frequently settles in around the third day!

It's right to ask for God’s new things in the new year, but are you ready for the sacrifices that may accompany the blessing? Does commitment accompany the request? The new thing that God began in the life of the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road would take him into hostile cities, over stormy seas and through many prison cells. He learned to say “press on” long after the newness had worn off.

If you're ready for God to do a new thing in your life in 2017, then expect sacrifice to get you there. The new will wear off in just a short time. That's why so many young Christians waver in their faith because they don't expect to deal with some of the stuff they face. You may be the same in your thinking that the New Year is going to change things in your life for the better. It might, but it also might not. Receive the new thing from God, but remember the cost in keeping it new. That's something you never want to forget.