We who are born again are new creations in Christ Jesus. We all know that scripture found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Our God is a specialist in bringing out newness from oldness it seems. He seems to possibly enjoy that as much as anything He does. I guess once you’ve found the enjoyment of creativity like He has, it kind of sticks with you. He’s always been and always will be the Creator. He likes creating.

He took our old lives and made something brand new out of them; a true rags to riches story. Though our righteousness was as filthy rags, He nevertheless deposited His beaming and glory-covered garment of righteousness right into our closets. Yet many of us sure like to keep that old garment of filthy rags in our closets, right next to that new white robe God has presented us with. We must be crazy. Nevertheless, newness of life is always waiting for us to wear, thank God.

Over the past year we all have probably done a few things that we wish we could do over again. We may have even made some huge mistakes, and just don’t know how to escape the guilt and shame that accompany such things. Thank God we serve a Saviour Who specializes in making things new! Let’s think about it again.

Let’s pretend the Bible is true for a moment (don’t get mad at me, I know it’s true, I just want you to believe it too!) Does the Bible still say that God’s mercies are brand new every morning? What if that is true? Really. What if it is? Can you actually comprehend what that really means to us as imperfect folk here on earth?

It struck me years ago that no matter what I may have done yesterday, that because of God’s amazing grace I get to start over each and every morning! No matter what happened yesterday, last month or last year, I have NOT used up all of God’s mercies! That to me is incredible good news. I get to start over each morning with a fresh supply of God’s abundant mercies, His everlasting goodness and love that is forever towards me.

However guilt and shame are destroyers of hope and faith, and do their jobs very well indeed. I often think of Moses having been at the top of the world in Egypt for the first 40 years of his life. He was raised in elegance, educated in the Temple of the Sun, experienced as a warrior, respected and confident, a real hero of his time. Then God speaks to him and tells him he wants to use him to deliver his people. Moses moves in the flesh instead of waiting for God’s way, and murders a man, and then in fear and panic leaves his now destroyed career behind him, and goes into the desert for 40 years.

The Bible records no reference of God speaking to him for those 40 years, until one day Moses sees a burning bush, and hears a familiar voice from all those years ago telling him once again that His plan for him has never faltered or changed. Exodus chapters 3 and 4 are really Moses arguing with God over his list of reasons why he can’t be used anymore. “They won’t believe me, I’ve got a record as a killer, I won’t have good enough answers for them when they ask me who sent me”; and on and on it goes. It’s Moses’ list of “what ifs” that’s similar to ours after we’ve not performed to “Christian Perfection” (whatever that is).

God nevertheless reminds Moses that He will be with him, His power will be with him, and He will be with his mouth.

Some people have made poor decisions after “rising to the top” and have lost their entire careers, gone through a divorce, and maybe even found themselves in prison. But praise God, our Father is a God who has something on His resume that shows past experience in “raising from the dead.” I can just see that entry on His job description now: “I raise things from the dead.” You’d think that would get someone’s attention!

God is a specialist at this. He brings life where there is no life, makes deserts into gardens and brings rivers into dry places. He brings dry bones back to life again. This is Who we serve!

We have a brand new year ahead of us that is absolutely pregnant with potential. Many who speak prophetically are calling 2005 “the year of God’s overflow.” While the world itself may be rightfully expectant of more and more terrorist activity, we in the Body of Christ should still be even more expectant of more and more heavenly activity! God hasn’t changed; His mercies are still being extended towards us and His desire is still for us to let go of guilt and shame and move forward into the destiny He has always had for us. As Moses’ destiny hadn’t changed though he’d not heard from God for 40 years, neither has your destiny in God altered one iota. It remains intact.
God wants you and me to literally dive head-first into faith this year, and swim in His love and plans for us! Throw that old snake that bit you last year into the fire like Paul did, and lift your head high, put your shoulders back, and recognize Who is walking beside you. He has never left you.