New Beginnings
New Beginnings
An old gospel song I remember hearing so many times had these words: I’ll have a new body; I’ll have a new life. Like many of the old songs of the church this song is based on the premise that there is coming a day when everything old will be no more and everything will be brand new. The bible tells us in Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” (NKJV) The idea is that everything we know and see here will be no more and everything will be new.
The Bible also tells us that we will indeed have a new body, (I Corinthians 15:42-44). We will sing a new song, (Revelation 5:9). We will have a new name, (Revelation 2:17; 3:12), and we will have a new life that will free from pain, sorrow, sickness and death, (Revelation 21:4).
I am thankful that we have the promise of eternal things. I take great comfort in those promises. I am grateful that I can share that hope with others, especially in times of trial and loss in their lives. But I always walk away from those times knowing that there are a lot of new beginnings left in life.
I am reminded at the beginning of a new year that newness can be an everyday experience. We do not have to wait for the “sweet by and by” to experience newness in the Lord. The resolutions we made at the beginning of the year may be broken already. But each day can be a new day of living, loving and enjoying the life that our God has given us. We can rise each day with the attitude that this day is what God has granted us. We can’t do anything about what happened yesterday and tomorrow may never come, but we have this day. We can choose to live it as best we can for the glory of God.
I am thankful that the mercies of the Lord are new every day. We don’t have to rely on the experiences of what was or wait and hope for what will be some day. God grants us a new day, every day. Each day is filled with new opportunities, new experiences, and new lessons. For the child of God each day is filled with the abundant life that Jesus promised us.
Marston Carpenter
Marston Carpenter has been a General Baptist pastor for 35 years. He now pastors the Rector First General Baptist Church in Rector Arkansas. His wife is Barbara and they have 3 children, 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Brother Marston also serves on the Board of Directors of Stinson Press, Inc.
Posted on 12/21/2009 10:15 AM by Marstin Carpenter
