By Not Known
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
The old year has just set behind us while a new one has risen in all its dawning beauty. We have left the old year, with the many good and bad experiences we have been through, along with answered and unanswered prayers. New experiences and uncertainties lie ahead of us in our journey along this new year. It is often said that the only constant (certainty) is change but there is a certainty that does not change: God’s promises.
The certainty of God’s promises sees no exception, including in this new year; He plans to prosper us and not to harm us, and He plans to give us hope and a future (Jer 29:11). All of us long to see the fulfilment of God’s promises to us, be it in prayers answered, problems solved or desires satisfied. How can that come about? Firstly, we must depart from our evil ways and return to Him, and He will then give us a new heart and a new spirit, which will enable us, from within, to live according to His Word. A new heart and a new spirit entail a Christ-like attitude and behaviour, which leads to a right relationship with God, and His Word will have a tremendous impact on our life. Secondly, with a new heart and a new spirit, we must work on the following, in order for God’s promises to us to be fulfilled:
1. Whatever we do, we must do it for God and in the name of Jesus.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
In every one of our deeds, be it in the office, home, school or anywhere else, take God into account, and do it as if we were doing it for God. With this in mind, we keep ourselves from doing it with ulterior or wicked motives.
2. Learn from Past Experiences.
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. (Psalms 119:71)
Every trial or temptation that God allows into our life is good for us, as it helps us learn to obey His commands. God is always moulding us into Christ-likeness. Let us learn from our past experiences, assess them and reflect on them. Let us not repeat past mistakes while we continue doing the good deeds we have been doing.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
Let us traverse 2017 with confidence, with the new heart and the new spirit we receive from God. In whatever we do, do it for God in the name of Jesus, and obey His commands so that we will see the fulfilment of His promises to us. Amen!
Herna Kong