All Things New

Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (ESV) 

    God is showing me more and more that He is doing a work that is newer and greater in my life. I won’t speak for anyone else because I don’t know all about what you may be going through right now. I will say that if you are still here, God still has a purpose for your life. He still has BIG plans for you. When it is all said and done, He longs to give you a fresh start in some areas if not all. He wants to make all things new. 

    When we think of the new, we tend only to think of sinners becoming saints. Many times, God is doing something novel in the lives of those who already belong to Him. He wants to change our circumstances. He insists on changing our hearts. More than anything else, He desires to show us everything He is capable of accomplishing in and through us. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (ESV) This is a specific promise for the believer.

    I have to tell you first hand that what the Lord is showing me is that He has destiny to fulfill in my life. Obviously, I have a part to play in this journey. That role is to yield. No lie, I have a hard time with going along with the new things. I don't like surprises. I literally cringe if there's no viable plan in place. I like to be comfortable. I like routine. I like to know what is coming next. The issue with this mindset is that you can easily get stuck here. The Lord prefers to be limitless. I can personally place Him in an unnecessary box. That’s why He has pressed me to take the limits off of Him recently.

    A little over a year ago, I created a list of all the things I wanted to do. I set goals for myself that I was and am still dedicated to achieve. I was in the process of my divorce finalizing at the time. While in the process, I knew that this was the opportunity to turn a new page. This was a chance to start another better chapter of my life. I was a 40 year old woman who was now single and was hitting the reset button. Mind you reaching the goals on this list weren’t simple, but I have been determined. I put things on the list like: take better care of myself by exercising regularly, eating better, getting more sleep, and maintaining a certain level of standard when it comes to my appearance. Then there are the bigger things like: saving money to have a financial cushion, investing in my businesses, pushing the ministry further to reach more people. Finally, I wanted to get a passport, a place of my own and a car. 

    Most notably, it had been years since I was able to drive myself around. I have suffered from a chronic medical condition in the past that has at times disabled my independence. I have had to rely on the kindness of friends and family to take me to the places that either wanted to go or needed to go. I craved a semblance of freedom from my old way of life. As I started working towards these goals collectively and separately, I saw that I was now in the position to make some significant changes. I had the power to not change only the way I was thinking, but change the way I was living for the good.  In this I began to seek God for His direction. What has been happening is astounding even to me. He has been making ALL THINGS NEW.

    I will tell you that God has been giving me the desires of my heart since I have sought to always place Him first. Matthew 6:33 says to seek first the kingdom God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you. I have also made it a practice of employing the principles of sowing and reaping consistently. As I do these things, I see the paths before me getting straighter. My season has changed. The wind in my life has shifted. I am overjoyed to announce that God blessed me to get my very own mode of transportation as of last Friday. I have been trusting God and putting His Word to work. I have been placing myself in the position to see things from a new lens. 

    I just came by to encourage someone with Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (ESV) You are in a place that feels like you will never see a change. You are starting to feel hopeless. You don’t know what the next step is to take. I came to let you know that God wants to do something new in your life. He wants to give you the special blessing in which you have been asking. He wants to pour you out the kind of blessing that will blow your mind. He wants to restore your relationships, health, finances, mental well being and overall wellness in your life. He will if you let Him. He wants to make all things NEW. If I am talking to you, allow me to pray God’s Word over your life. 

Let’s pray: Father, I pray that you touch the person that is reading this blog. Lift the heavy and hopeless hearts. I pray that they can see Your Word working in their lives right now. Lord, I pray for Isaiah 65:17 to be activated in their life in Jesus name. Remind them that old things have passed away and that the new has come according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. You are making a way in their personal wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). You are providing water to their dry souls by the refreshing of Your Presence (Psalm 23:3). Holy Spirit of God, breathe into their dreams that they have given up on. I speak wholeness to broken places. Life to the great plans that they have allowed to pass away. Lord, activate their faith to believe again. In Jesus name let it be done. Amen.  

If you are reading this and have never accepted Jesus as Your Lord and Savior this is the time. If you have once walked with God, but you have strayed away, here is your moment. There will never be a more ideal time than now to surrender your life to the One who loves you most. He wants to call you out of darkness into His marvelous light. No strings attached. No hidden motives. He just wants a relationship with you. If this is you please say the prayer below. 

Sinner’s Prayer: Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He died on the cross just for me. I also confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that He rose again on the 3rd day, paying my sin debt in full. He is now seated at the right hand of power, interceding for me to the Father. I thank You, Jesus, that as I pray this prayer and believe with my heart that You have saved me. I receive Your love and commit my life to You. You are now the Lord of my life. Thank You for all that You have done and will do for me in the future. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture references: Isaiah 43:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:17,  Matthew 6:33, Isaiah 65:17, Psalm 23:3

Follow Me: https://linktr.ee/ministerericalstandley


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's Time to Get Off the Fence

     Either you're for me or you're against me this is what Jesus said in Matthew 12:30. These are harsh words to some people, but it's a matter of loyalty to God. Are you going to go all in or keep one foot out because it's convenient? He also said if you're not gathering you're scattering. It's every believer's responsibility to draw others to Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:11)       It's relatively black and white. You're either pursuing a relationship with Christ or you're pulling back. Luke 9:62 says, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”(NASB)  It's so easy for people to say things like, "well there's more than one way to Heaven." Jesus said differently. He is the Way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)  Convenience tells us to be neutral. One problem: Jesus wasn't neutral. He was radical....
Read more

Sufferings

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18 I have to say that the scripture above never really had as deep a meaning as it has had in the last couple years, months, weeks, etc. of my life. Most people who know me personally or are following my blogs know my story to some extent. It's that I am: currently unemployed, living with my parents (again) after losing my job in Wichita, Ks. About 3 months before I lost my job, I suffered a seizure at the wheel and got into a horrendous car wreck; losing my driving privileges for 6 months and totaled out my vehicle (that I was still paying for without current insurance since I was recovering from the 2010 unemployment issue). Yeah, yeah, yeah...you all have heard my story. I have told it so many times I think I am even tired of hearing it. To say that I have had some challenges would be an understatement. To say that it has bee...
Read more

Patient with Me

     One of the best qualities that exists in God is His patience.  The very first phrase is 1 Corinthians 13:4 is, “Love is patient.” (NIV) When I think about true love, I have to align my expectations with the Only True and wise God- with Jesus. He is the purest form of love. (1 John 4:8b) I think the most transcendent characteristic of the Lord is that He is patient. Not only is He patient, but He suffers long with us.       What is long suffering? From what I understand, it is made up of 2 different words in Greek that are long and temper. That in essence means, God has restraint even when He is upset.  He is not quick to retaliate or punish because of His displeasure. How many of us can say that we are like this? Psalm 103:8 describes it like this, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”(ESV)      When we look at the World around us we see that no one is patient. No one is willin...
Read more