The Fresh Start

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.      –  Isaiah 43:19

There is a tradition in the game of golf known as a mulligan that allows a player to replay a stroke without suffering a penalty. Jon Acuff, a New York Times bestselling author, wrote Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck, offering suggestions for getting restarted. In the movie City Slickers, the character portrayed by Daniel Stern complains that his life is a mess and he has lost everything: his wife, child, job, and self-respect. He longs for a do-over. 

Many people make New Year’s resolutions, seeking a fresh start in certain aspects of their lives. Motivational speakers often talk about resetting personal goals. God specializes in new beginnings. Think of the many transition periods of the Israelites. They were enslaved in Egypt, they wandered in the desert, and they enjoyed prosperity in the promised land, but then they were sacked by Assyrians and taken captive by the Babylonians. In today’s verse, God says another transition was at hand. They needed to shed the baggage they carried from “former things” (verse 18) and get about the business of change that He was directing. 

God is continually at work. The worship chorus says, “You never stop, You never stop working. Even when I don’t see it, You’re working. You never stop!” Theologian John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, but you may be aware of 2 or 3 of them.” Sometimes it is difficult to see the hand of God at work in your life amid the struggles. In your transitions, whether in optimal or challenging times, look beyond your circumstances, seek God, and trust Him. He will always make a way where there seems to be no way. Pray for the coming election and the desire of voters for a fresh political start for America, that God would work His will in the changes.