Do you need to see the Lord do something new in your life, your marriage or your finances? Are you seeking God to open new doors in your ministry, in your career or in your relationships? Perhaps you’re desperate for the Lord to do a new thing in your children’s lives, in your friend’s life or in your community.
Well, here we are wrapping up our study on New Things and I hope this study has helped you draw one step closer to preparing for what the Lord is going to do in your life. I can’t believe how many roads I’ve had to backtrack in order to move forward. How ’bout you?
I’ve done a lot of traveling down the road of spiritual growth. I’ve gone backward, forward and made a few circles. I’ve learned there’s a special beauty we can only find in the wilderness – and the streams in the dessert are meant to sustain us in our circumstances, not to deliver us from them. I’ve learned there’s a lot to learn in the wait and in the wilderness and that God delights in doing new things when He knows the time is right.
I’ve had to deal with some painful realities about where I am and where I think the Lord is leading me. It’s not that anything has changed as far as the direction He has been leading me, but this past week I’ve had to deal with myself in ways I hadn’t expected.
It’s painfully good to see ourselves as we really are – flawed people in need of a flawless God.
Seeing God do new things often means we have to see ourselves as we really are – positionally perfect, practically not. But one of the greatest truths of all is that the God of the universe delights in using us in spite of ourselves.
On our way to becoming who we were created to be we all blow it. Our humanness assures us of that. But God doesn’t take us out of the game. He may put us on the bench, He may place us in a different position, He may even make us make us drop it and give Him fifty, but He still has a plan for our lives – He still uses us – in spite of ourselves.
In fact, the Bible is full of many who had failed God at some point, yet God chose to do something new in their lives anyway.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.” 1 Cor 1:26-28 (NIV)
Let’s look at a list of some fruitful failures. I hope you’ll take a minute to read each Scripture reference so you can get the full impact of what God can do in our lives, even though we blow it!
Abraham was a cowardly liar (Genesis 12:13-15), before God made him the father of faith (Romans 4:11-13).
1. Do your personal struggles with fear prevent you from having the faith to trust that God wants to do a new thing in your life?
Moses was impetuous and killed a man (Exodus 2:11-12), yet God used Him to set His people free (Exodus 3:7-12).
2. Do you feel like God won’t use you because you sometimes fly off the handle and act irrational or have a pms meltdown?
David was a shepherd boy before he became a king (1 Samuel 16:8-13); an adulterer and murderer before he reached his full potential (2 Samuel 12:1-8).
3. Have you ever felt like your past prevents you from having a God defined future?
4. Do you ever feel like your position in life makes you inferior and makes you unqualified for God to do a new thing in your life?
5. Have you ever felt like you blew it and that God was going to give up you?
I could list a host of other imperfect people who God used in a big way. Each of them defective, flawed, imperfect – each of them saw God show up and do a new thing in their lives. They are there for our examples. To show us that we are not limited by our own limitations – that God delights in doing exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think!
Remember our key verse for this week has been Revelation 21:5.
“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
I’m so glad that one day, the Lord will make all things new…including you and me. He made us new when He saved us, but on that day, we will be complete – we will be perfect – body, soul and spirit.
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Until then – we live in this flesh. We fail God and each other. Yet, God reminds us that nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can separate us from the plans He has for us. He still uses us – in spite of ourselves.
Sweet friend, I hope the Lord has used this study to help you be prepared for the New Things He is going to do in your life. It’s shaken me up and turned me upside down. Now I just want to go turn the world upside down. I hope you’ll join me!
By the way, I shared my first vlog on Wednesday’s post. I wanted to tell you all how much I love and appreciate our joint journey in the Word. You make my heart smile big time. But unfortunately, I had no clue what I was doing and didn’t include a link for all you who supscribe by email. So, for those of you who didn’t get it, you can click here. I hope you feel the hug through the video!
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