MEDITATION:
Written by Emma Danzey, a contemporary author, ministry leader, and singer. This is an excerpt from her work “God Wants to Do a New Thing in You.”
Spring is blooming and the birds are tweeting their songs yet again. The vibrant colored azaleas and tulips begin to reappear. Trees that were once leafless and empty now start to blossom pink, white, and purple. The truth is that God wants to do a new thing in you. He wants to do a new thing within all of us. Just like nature around us is fully dependent on God to change and grow, we are too. As we admire the warmth of the sunlight and the gentle breeze, may what we see in nature be embraced in our own hearts. When we see these visible changes and transformations within nature, we know that every moment of every day, something is happening. The more seasons we have been through, the more common they can become, so we have to be intentional to watch what the Lord is doing and to worship Him in the midst of it. The same is true spiritually speaking. As we seek God, the Holy Spirit is doing a work within us that we may not always recognize, however over time, our thoughts and actions will show the fruit of our hearts. As we look at the work of Jesus, He brings death to life, He completes the old covenant and fulfills the new covenant, and He takes things that are broken and makes them whole. As we examine our own lives, how is Jesus continually sanctifying and making us new in Him each day? Are you being more patient with your spouse? Have you been quicker to listen and slower to speak lately? Are your words of negativity fading under the sound of encouragement? We cannot produce anything eternally good from our lives apart from the work of Christ. It is because of Him that anyone can become a new creation… When we spend time with Jesus reading His Word, praying, worshiping, listening, reflecting, witnessing, and gathering with other believers, we are being refined into His image. At the moment of salvation, we are forgiven and made new. However, on the journey of life, we go through our own “spiritual seasons” where our Father is shaping and molding us into who He desires for us to be. We can trust in Him and surrender to His love as we become like Jesus by releasing areas of sin in our lives. This all points us towards the future when the old heaven and earth will pass away and the Lord will make everything new again.
PRAYER:
Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary pastor and author.
God, I’m so grateful you sent your Spirit to empower me. Thank you for speaking to me and working in me. Stay near to me and help me hear your voice. Amen.
Pathways Press.com 