The First Step to a Reset

In Isaiah 43:18-19 I read, “Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it?” (NCV)

I am a product of my past. Shaped by the good and the bad things I have experienced. However, I’m not a prisoner of the past—I can be free!

That’s what Christianity is all about. Through Jesus Christ, I can be born again and start a new life. Jesus makes it possible for me to push the reset button and get a second chance.

Here’s what God says about my past: “Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NCV).

God doesn’t want me constantly looking at or dwelling on the past. If I’m always looking in the rear-view mirror, then I’m going to crash! The only way I can move forward is to focus on the present and look forward to the future.

The rest of my life is in the future, not in the past. My past is past; it’s over. I can’t change it, so I shouldn’t dwell on it. Instead, start asking God to do something new within me.

I may feel like nothing new is happening in my life right now. This is because I’m not asking. James 4:2 says, “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (NLT). Look again at what that says: I don’t have it because I don’t ask for it.

If I’ve never asked God for a reset in my life, then all I need to say is, “God, I need a fresh start. I’ve blown it. I’ve made mistakes, and I need you to reboot my life.”

This is the first step to a reset. I just have to ask God for it! 

Everyone needs a reset at some point—because life is hard, and we all make mistakes. Am I ready for God to do something new in your life? Ask him for a fresh start, and he’ll give me renewed energy, a renewed spirit, renewed hope, and a renewed heart. 

God Turns Messes into Masterpieces (God’s do-over plan)

In Psalm 51:10 I read, “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life." (The Message)

One day, God had a message for a prophet named Jeremiah. He told him to go to a potter’s house and watch the potter make clay pots.

As Jeremiah watched the potter molding and fixing the clay, he noticed something: “Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot” (Jeremiah 18:4 The Message).

After Jeremiah saw this object lesson, God gave him a message for Israel: “Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you” (Jeremiah 18:6 The Message).

I have already made a mess of my life. My “pot” is scarred from poor decisions that I made and things that were done to me. As a result, my life has not turned out as I intended.

But I am the clay; not the potter. God is the potter, and he doesn’t discard clay that’s been misshapen by circumstances. He doesn’t waste the pain that I’ve been through.

God doesn’t throw out the personality and the essence of who he created me to be. Instead, he takes every part of me; the good, the bad, and the ugly. He puts it all in his gentle but strong hands. And then he starts over with shaping my life, applying pressure at just the right places to mold me and remake me into a beautiful, priceless piece of art.

That’s what happens when I surrender myself completely to God’s loving hands.

God specializes in fresh starts. I can have a new beginning today, simply by starting with King David’s prayer in Psalm 51:10: “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life” (The Message).

It’s never too late to start over. I can bring whatever chaos is in my life to God, the Great Potter. Then trust him to do new work in my life.

In summary, I can always obtain a fresh start and be formed into something new. God had a message for a prophet named Jeremiah. He told him to go to a potter’s house and watch the potter make clay pots. As Jeremiah watched, he noticed: “Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot”. After Jeremiah saw this, God gave him a message for Israel: “In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you”. I have already made a mess of my life. I’m scared from poor decisions that I made and things that were done to me. My life has not turned out as I intended. But I am the clay; not the potter. God is the potter, and he doesn’t discard clay that’s been misshapen by circumstances. He doesn’t waste the pain that I’ve been through. God doesn’t throw out the personality and the essence of who he created me to be. He takes every part of me; the good, the bad, and the ugly. He puts it all in his gentle but strong hands. And he starts over with shaping my life, applying pressure at just the right places to mold me and remake me. That’s what happens when I surrender myself completely to God’s loving hands. God specializes in fresh starts. I can have a new beginning today, simply by starting with King David’s prayer in Psalm 51:10: God, make a fresh start in me, shape and form something new from the chaos of my life. It’s never too late to start over. I can bring whatever chaos is in my life to God, the Great Potter. Then trust him to do new work in my life.

Because I was born a sinner, my natural inclination is to please myself rather than God. David followed that inclination when he took another man's wife. I also follow it when I sin in any way. Like David, I must ask God to cleanse me from within, clearing my heart and spirit for new thoughts and desires. Right conduct can come only from a clean heart and spirit. God, I ask you to create a clean heart and spirit within me. 

How I Can Handle the Mistakes I’ve Made

In review of Colossians 2:14 it say, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (NCV).

Today’s verse is Colossians 2:14, In it Paul tells me that He (God) destroyed the record of the debt I owe, with its requirements that worked against me. God canceled it by nailing it to the cross when I accepted Jesus.

The record that was canceled contained the legal demands of the OT Law. The law that opposed us by its demands for payment for our sin. No one can be be saved by merely keeping that record, the moral truths and principles in the OT still teach and guide me today.

I can enjoy a new life in Christ because I have joined him in his death and resurrection. My evil desires, bondage to sin, and love of sin died with him. Now, joining him in his resurrection life, I have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from my sin. My debt for sin has been paid in full; my sins are swept away and forgotten by God; and I can be clean and new.

We all blow it from time to time. While the Christian life is a guilt-free life, it’s not a mistake-free life.

The Bible never hides this truth. It is painfully honest about the failures of its heroes. God saved the world after a flood through a man named Noah—who then got drunk and naked, and blew it all. Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into freedom—yet his anger kept him out of the Promised Land. The Bible tells the story of King David, a man after God’s own heart—who then had an affair and arranged the murder of the woman’s husband so he wouldn’t be discovered.

God realizes my frailty. If God only used perfect people, the Bible would be a pretty short book. In fact, he has a solution for my failures; grace.

The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV).

If you look at all those failures in Scripture, you get a clear picture. You and I—just like those heroes of the Bible—are trophies of God’s grace. My primary witness to the world around you isn’t all the great stuff you do for God. It’s how you handle mistakes you’ve made. Do you mope or do you revel in the grace of God?

People want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs. People want to meet a God who can transform broken lives.

The amazing part of God’s grace isn’t just his power to forgive. It’s the strength he gives me when I start over.

It’s the strength God gives me when I become a trophy of his grace.

Bottom Line:

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

What this means to me:

He canceled the unfavorable record of my debts with its binding rules and did away with it completely by nailing it to the cross.

In summary, God destroyed the record of the debt I owe by nailing it to the cross when I accepted Jesus. I now have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from my sin. While I can now have a guilt-free life from the payment of my sin, it doesn't mean that I won't make mistakes still. The good news is that God realizes my frailty and has a solution for my failures, it's called grace. My primary witness to the world around me isn't all the great stuff I do for God, rather its how I handle mistakes I've made. Will I revel in the grace of God or mope around. Others want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs, a God who can transform broken lives. God's grace gives me strength when I start over. It's the strength God give me when I become a trophy of his grace.

Father, it’s great to be reminded of your grace, especially in light of mistakes I make. I can’t be perfect and I should stop trying / beating myself up internally when I don’t measure up. I pray this morning Father for some relief in my tension and feelings of not meeting all expectations I put on myself. I ask you for your wisdom and guidance in how I handle my day; my work, my leadership and my interaction with others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen!

Jesus Provides Restoration

In review of Zechariah 3:4 it says, “The angel said to his heavenly attendants, ‘Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.’ Then he said to Joshua, “I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear.”

Bottom Line:

He can remove your sin and sinful nature and give you a clean slate and a new nature.

What this means to me:

Jesus takes away my sin (filthy clothes) and sinful nature and gives me a new nature and clean clothes to wear.

When I've made bad decisions in the past, I can stop beating myself up over what I can't change. It is dirty laundry. Instead get clean and get moving.

I need to learn to see myself as God see me. While I may be an imperfect vessel in the hand of the Master Potter, He can still take my flaws and transform them into matchless beauty with endless potential. He can remake my mind, body, soul, and spirit into something beyond imagination. He makes all things new!

I need to yield to the Spirit's leading and be willing to make necessary changes. Learn to live without regret, without limitation. Live without saying, "If only..."  Live life to the full. Laugh and be happy for God has designed me to enjoy life, not to suffer in misery.

Today, declare that whatever is holding me back is over. In Jesus' name, take off yesterday's filthy garment and burn it, and put on the robes of royalty instead. Today is a new day, meant to be lived His way.

Fresh Starts Are Always Available

In review of Lamentations 3:40-42a it says, “Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled’”

Bottom Line:

Consider our ways, turn and repent. Lift up our heart and hands to God and confess how we have sinned and rebelled against him.

What this means to me:

I am encouraged to examine my ways and thoughts. I should confess, repent and turn back to the Lord. I should lift up heart and hands to God and say, I have sinned and rebelled against you.

Today's passage comes from the end of Lamentations chapter 3. This chapter speaks of hope in the Lord's faithfulness. The writer is recounting how he has been on the opposite end of blessings from the Lord (seems he had rejected the Lord before and was doing things his own way.) He then switches gears, saying he will never forget this time, however he brings to mind how the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies begin afresh each morning. The Lord is good to those who search for and depend on him. So even though we may feel oppression against us, it is best for us to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. He then goes on to encourage those at a younger age to submit to the yoke of God's discipline. Though grief may come, God also shows compassion. So we are encouraged to test and examine our ways, confess and turn back to the Lord. The Lord will hear us and provide all that we need and give us a fresh start.

So the path to a fresh start and a clear conscience begins with repentance. As I wrote about yesterday, it’s best to start with a review of every area of my life, and then repent of every sin that comes to mind.

Today’s passage says, “Let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled’” (Lamentations 3:40-42a NLT).

Repentance does not mean rationalizing my sin. I can’t say, “It was no big deal.” It was a big deal, or I wouldn’t have remembered it. I can’t say, “It happened so long ago” or “It was just a stage I went through” or “Everybody does it.” It doesn’t matter! I cannot rationalize sin, minimize it, excuse it, or blame others. That would not be true repentance.  Repentance means that I take responsibility for my sin, I then turn away from it, and replace it with God and his grace.

The greatest holdup to the healing of my hang-up is me. I’m not waiting on God; I’m not waiting on anybody else. God wants to heal the hang-up in my life, but the greatest holdup to my hang-up is me.

1 John 1:8 say, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (NIV).

The next step is up to me.  Will I get rid of the self-defeating habits in my life? If so, It will all start with gut-level honesty and recognizing that something is wrong, no matter how much I want to rationalize it and excuse it. I need to admit it, confess it, and get it out of my life.