New beginning
Every New Year comes with a new beginning. People clean their houses of rubbish and old wears; have a clean hair cut, change wears and wall robes. Many make New Year resolutions while others just see it as a roll over. Organizations make new budgets, set new goals and make changes in structure and management strategies while focusing on the challenges ahead. They appraised their environments, consider their past performances, count on their gains and losses; learn from their past events and mistakes and make necessary adjustments for the future.
The world celebrates every New Year as a passage of time. It signals the end of an old era/year and the beginning of a new one – be it new beginning, new start, new hope and new season. The reason it’s celebrated with rejoicing and fun fares, praising and thanksgiving while some with fears, skeptics and anxieties. Those who had a bad year cannot wait for it to pass while those that had a bountiful year may not want it to go. Funny enough life does not work that way. The past had been with us but the future is unpredictable and unknown. The old year’s problems and struggles become dim memories when we think of a new beginning or fresh start. The coming of a new year appears God’s way of reminding us that because of the coming of the Savior we can have a new beginning. The Word that was with God and is God has become flesh and lives with mankind. But to experience and enjoy a new beginning we have to learn to let go yesterday, face the future with the changes it brings as a challenge to gabble with and not repression. Change is the only constant factor in life. One great lesson the change teaches is that ‘today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.’ There are two sides to every change – the past and the future. The past tells us where we are coming from and the future peeps into where we are going. It becomes a good time to focus on God and thank Him for getting us through another year.
The book of Joshua commenced with the end of one era and leadership under Moses and the beginning of another under Joshua. Even though the old gave birth to the new, the new was in the old until God hatches it to fulfill what the old started. God demonstrated that he was in charged and capable of using anybody or thing to accomplish His task and plans. The Israelites had behind them forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the miracles they witnessed in the Red sea, the manna from heaven and water from the rocks, the released and freedom from their slave masters in Egypt. While their confidence and reliance on the leader God used in all these wonders was getting solid, Moses, their leader, God’s servant passed on. I mean he died yet God was present and moved on. We also have our past: sometimes very painful, unexplainable and terrifying, others joyful and merry. Such detestable times include: loss of beloved ones, failures, unforgiving incidences, disappointments, unanswered prayers, unloved things we said or did, breaking of vows and promises. We also have memories of happy times: birth, marriages, family reunion, graduations, birthdays and being born again as well as enjoying uncommon favors etc. Before the Israelites was the promised land of milk and honey, the change of baton – new leadership under Joshua, great promises and assurances of God’s presence with them always. We may not know what awaits us; what the future has in stock but when we know who holds the future and can trust Him with unknown future, then we can face the future hopefully. He will avail us His presence and the Holy Spirit for direction. Despite these assurances most people still entertain genuine fears concerning the future.
Joshua, a son of Nun and a servant of Moses was with Moses throughout the years of wandering in the desert. He witnessed the stubbornness of the children of Israel and their complains against God and Moses. He watched with trembling the humility of Moses and God’s great wonders under his leadership. He must have observed him tarry most days and nights seeking God’s face and approval on matters concerning their journey. Joshua also witnessed the pettishness and murmuring, undeserved criticism by the people; yet Moses loved them, prayed for them and attended to their needs. At last God stopped him from entering the Promised Land. Little surprised Joshua had such genuine fears. Most of us have genuine fears when we are called to perform God’s work, lead in corporate prayers and in bible studies, read Bible lessons or even go for evangelism and welfare visits. God woke Joshua one morning and said to him ARISE; get ready to wear your master’s shoe. The baton is now in your hand. Your apprenticeship is over. You slept last night as a servant but now promoted a leader. The challenge to take the Israelite to the Promised Land is your new assignment– the task before you. God offered him a job he neither applied for nor desired. This great assignment is not without God’s provisions. God promised Joshua two great resources: [i] His presence everywhere and every time. [ii] Meditate on the book of the law day and night. But you have to be obedience, strong, and courageous. That’s also the challenge facing us this New Year.
Brethren, there’s no future in the past. Our destiny and call in life is always forward and never backward. Evangelist Mike Murdock said, ‘stop looking at where you have been and start looking at where you can be.’ Phillip Raskin cautioned that he who wastes today lamenting yesterday will waste tomorrow lamenting today. The year 2005 has come and gone. The past is always going to be that way; stop trying to change it. Whatever happened becomes part of our history. Your future contains more happiness than any past you can remember. It was for this reason that Oscar Wilde said, ‘No man is rich enough to buy back his past.’ The more you look back the less you will get ahead. Thomas Jefferson was right when he said, ‘I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.’ When we are depressed, we will find that it’s because we were living in the past; when we dwell on the past, at the expense of the future we stop growing and start dying [Eccl.7:10].
The new beginning is to let go the past – the old year, old ways, unnecessary baggage’s in our lives that slow us down, the grudges that keep us unforgiving, the greed and covetousness that weakens our faith in God; the lust that end up in fornication and lack of satisfaction in God that make us seek help elsewhere. Apostle Paul said, ‘one thing I do: forgetting what is behind…’ [Phil 3:13]. Paul had been given a new beginning, he had to let go the guilt of persecuting Christ and His followers; whatever grudges he had against people who refused to accept him because of his past. They doubted his credibility as a true disciple of Christ. He had to pray for those who had conflict about his call and commitment to Jesus Christ- new religion from that of their fathers. Like Paul we have been given a new year and a new beginning. We should no longer live in regrets of our past; on what ifs that slows us down. Many Christians even after repentance and having accepted Christ carry burdens of the past. We grudge against each other and refuse to let go. The Bible says one in Christ is a new creation; old things have passed away and behold all things are new [2 Corith.5:17]. The Psalmist said if we bear iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear our prayers [Ps 66:18]. Also, If God should mark iniquities who can stand? [Ps 130:3].God is graciously merciful and loves us with everlasting love.
Forgetting our past does not imply that our memories are erased. It’s a deliberate choice to obey the Holy Spirit of God in us. After all Christ was bruised for our sins and He bore our iniquities in His body [Isaiah 53:5, 11].God promised to forgive us and to remember our sins no more [Heb 8:12].Let us forget what is behind us and strain towards what is ahead, pressing towards the goal – to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. We should never allow a bleak past overshadow a bright future. David McNally said, “Your past cannot be changed but you can change your tomorrow by your action today.” Ednar Ferber also opined that living in the past is a dull and lonely business; looking back strains the neck muscles causing you to bump into people not going your way. Success is a person who does what he can with what he has, where he is. ‘Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grows.’ We should stop complaining and murmuring and start doing something. There’s more honor in the doing than talking or doing nothing.
God is calling us into new challenges; to stand up and get ready, to begin a new walk with Him. He says our apprenticeship is over. We can not hide any longer under other people. We have been too long in foreign land, with foreign gods, in stagnation and in rationalizing our behaviors. Perhaps we’re already becoming comfortable at where we are and have started enjoying our sufferings; may be tired and reluctant to get to our destination. But God’s plan for redemption is for us move on to possess the land of promise. We must therefore follow God’s plan, defend our faith, win more souls for Christ and proclaim His death and resurrection; to be champions for the Lord and be successful in life.
About 1970 Jimmy Cliff – a Reggae star stormed the world with a hit titled, ‘the harder they come.’ This Rastafarian was right. Every emerging year has been harder and tougher. The year 2006 is here with its own challenges. Only those who positioned themselves under the umbrella of God shall survive. We are urged to be strong and courageous; don’t be afraid, terrified or dismayed. Satan is getting subtly aggressive because he’s loosing grounds. We must be steadfast and consistent in our prayers, bible studies and meditation on the Word. This Word should not depart from us. We need to sharpen our battle axe and put on the whole armor of God. Even when our pursuit are genuine and considered insensitive or political incorrect, God is bigger than our fears, worries and challenges. The battle is the Lord’s and nobody has ever won a fight with Him.
What do we do with our new beginning? Don’t fold hands and wait for manna from heaven or make excuses for inaction. Do something meaningful this time around. New Year is God’s way of giving us another opportunity to right our wrongs, to start afresh, and perhaps rewrite our history. It’s a great chance to renew our vows and recommit ourselves to God. We can mend ways with our spouses, reconcile with our loved ones and rebuild our communities. Let us forsake our selfish pride and seek peace with God and one another. God is ever ready, to forgive and forget our past but we have to accept His forgiveness, forgive ourselves and others; break barriers that divide and instead build bridges that unite us. We must decide to build our homes, refurbish our marriages and panel-beat our relationships. God is not only interested in our relationship but desires it. God promised to give us every place we set our foot, expand our territory, grant us His power and His presence; will never forsake us or leave us. But we must be obedient, strong and courageous .The Hymn writer reminds us that God is our Help in ages past and our Hope for years to come. No matter how far back as you go into ages past, you will find God there. We should also depend on Him as our true hope for the future. Don’t allow this great opportunity slip. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and His ears are opened to our prayers. Let the Holy Spirit of God help us let go and give us hope for the future; with strength and courage we obey and closely follow Him throughout the year. I humbly wish you a fruitful new year.