Have you ever considered what an awesome blessing there is in a new day? The dawning of the sun heralds not only another day, but a new start, a fresh slate, and renewed hope.
GOD KNEW THAT WE’D NEED BREATHERS AND RESTARTS
It’s interesting to me that the first thing the Bible records God doing in Genesis 1:3 is creating the light and separating it from the darkness. His first order of business was making days and nights. From that time forward, the process of creation was described in day/night increments: “there was evening, and there was morning—the first day; evening and morning —the second day,” and so on.
He could have just as easily made it perpetually light . . . or perpetually dark. Instead he intentionally chose to break it up in sections. He not only made daytime and nighttime, but he also made seasons and years by how he placed the Earth and Sun.
He gave us specific breaks where we could mentally cast off the struggles and trends in our lives and begin anew.
WHAT IF WE DIDN’T HAVE THAT?
God certainly could have made our lives to be one big run-on day. Ponder that for a moment.
Have you ever found yourself saying any of these classic lines?
“I’m glad THAT day is finally over”
“The first of the month I’m going to turn over a new leaf and do things differently”
“I’m going to start that diet on Monday.”
What if there were no ends to the days, or new months or weeks? How depressing would that be?
We all get a little stuck at times. Nothing seems to change. Nothing seems to get finished. We’re caught in some kind of “Groundhog Day” where every day feels like a carbon copy of the day before. We certainly don’t seem to be making any forward progress.
I have certainly been there, myself.
In fact, I’ve been feeling that, and the frustration, depression, overwhelmed feeling that goes with it, a lot lately. I seem to be looking at the same to-do list that I was six months ago.
But, because God thought to give us new beginnings, we also have endings. It may still be difficult to accomplish but I can say “I’m going to get this one little thing done before I go to bed tonight” and I can work toward that end.
I wake up in the morning knowing that not only did I make a tiny bit of progress, but now I have a new day of possibilities stretching out ahead of me. I know that even one little step a day will eventually get me where I want to be.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Sometimes new beginnings are actual events. A new day, a new month, a new year. Maybe it’s a move to a new town or starting a new job.
But often new beginnings are in our heart and mind. New beginnings happen when we let go or surrender; or when we re-frame a situation by looking at it from a different vantage point, or assigning it a different meaning. They also come when we are able to successfully navigate the transitions in our lives. Things like kids growing up, changing situations, or the loss of people, things or dreams.
God gave us provision for those, as well: forgiving, grieving, repenting, praying. Just as he gave us new days in which to begin again, he gave us tools to set us free and prepare us for a fresh start.
Smooth transitions happen when we trust God, give honor to any losses or hurts by grieving or forgiving them, and have a willingness to embrace something new.
THERE’S A NEW DAY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
I remember a story I heard one day about a God-fearing grandpa. At a family gathering, after the dishes were done and they were all sitting around chatting, the conversation turned to spiritual things.
It was well known that grandpa had spent long hours reading his Bible during his many years of life. Everyone in the room was curious about what his answer would be when one of his grandsons piped up and said “Grandpa, what’s your favorite verse in the Bible?”
The old man thought for a brief moment and said, “There are so many good ones, it’s hard to pick.” But I think my very favorite one has to be “it came to pass.”
“So many times in my life I have encountered struggles. During those times those four words always come back to me. ‘It came to pass.’They remind me that every season, every struggle, every pain will have an end. Remembering that has gotten me through a lot of really hard times.”
No matter what you’re going through, it will eventually pass. A new day is right around the corner.
“Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” —Psalm 30:5
TODAY’S CHAT: What are you more thankful for today—that every struggle has an end, or that God has given us abundant opportunities for new beginnings? Why did you choose that one?
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