By Hazel Holland
Before each one of us
stretches a new year. The old year is almost over and the new is about
to begin. So I would invite you to join me in choosing to let go of all
the things that keep you trapped in the past... like regrets and
resentments and self-righteous attitudes that prevent others from
getting close to you. I would invite you to offer apologizes where
necessary, and to make amends so that relationships can be restored.
So
how will you choose to live this new year? Will you accept God's gift
of forgiveness that He extends to you with an open hand, and then offer
this same gift to others? Will you acknowledge God's gift of righteousness
that is already yours by faith in His finished work, and then share it
with those who don't know?
As
you choose God's way of living life in this new year, He has promised
to fill you with His Spirit so that you will choose to love others as He
has loved you. As you humbly admit your own weaknesses, He will be
your tower of strength and lift you up in your time of need. As you
look to the cross you will be reminded that God reached down and took a
hold of your hand before you ever reached out to Him. He gave you the greatest gift of all--Himself!
So
let's begin living this new year with the brand new heart God has given
us. Let's remember that we are daily being changed into His likeness.
So that means there is always room for growth. Although we may rest in
the assurance that our sins have been forgiven that does not release us
from being accountable to one another for our behavior. Being
reconciled to one another is a beautiful thing that happens to us as a
result of God's gift of repentance.
So
how are you and I going to live life in this new year? In the light of
His presence? Forever grateful to God for His ultimate gift of love to us--Himself? Yes! And forever thankful for new beginnings!♥
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I painted the "knot" in the middle of this cross because that is what God showed me. It looked like a knot with rings around it like you see in a branch from a cut tree.
ReplyDeleteI think it symbolizes the fact that sometimes there are "knots" in our lives or the lives of those we hold dear to us. Only when it is the right time will God reveal what those "knots" are, and then He will help us untie them so we can be free.
Then as I take another look at this "knot" it actually looks more like a "seal." It reminds me that Christ's shed blood has sealed the deal for us for all time and eternity. We are complete in Him! Praise God!