Last month I began the season of Advent leading a retreat. Part of my goal was to get the ladies to do a reset; stop pushing the repeat play button and start playing a new song. When I first heard this I doubted it was God talking to me, but I have learned over the years to pay attention to the whisper of His voice. When I heard it again, I began to dig deeper into God’s word to see if He would illuminate what it means to start fresh; start over. The Scripture He led me to started me thinking…
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Isaiah prophesied this to the Jews who were in captivity; in a wasteland apart from the Lord. The reference is contrasting the oldness of the judgment under the Old Covenant (Mosaic covenant) with the newness of the hope provided by the coming Messiah who would redeem the people.
We have begun a new year and we all want to have a new beginning. We make resolutions and fail; we make plans and don’t follow through. But one thing we can do is ask the Holy Spirit to place a new song in our hearts. Ask Him to lead us into the new year with fresh vision and purpose that He gives. The problem is that we make our own plans and sing our own song but it sounds flat and feels purposeless. God’s song brings His joy and purpose to the forefront of our lives. And the only way to sing it (i.e., to live it with the vigor of purpose) is to forget the former things. This does not mean that the lessons we learned in the past are to be forgotten. It means that the times we failed because we struck out on our own without asking the Holy Spirit to lead us, may have taken us on the wrong path and we feel stressed, anxious and burned out.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in God. (Psalm 40:3)
This is the “why” of needing our new song in the new year. Many will put their trust in God. When we move into God’s lane of purpose, we lead others to Him. It’s remarkable how this works. Let’s get practical on the “how to”.
- Begin by seeking God because His Word tells us that if we seek Him we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13)
- Spend time in silence or quietly listening to a worship song asking Him to speak
- Listen for the scripture or “word” He places on your heart
- Be specific asking Him to show you His path and let go of your old path. You may have been on the right path, but seasons change and it’s possible you still have your old path on life support and need to let go.
Friends, one of your new paths may be to attend a Bible study and live out God’s Word in community. I would love for you to join us live on Thursdays. Or let us help as you create your own Bible study community with DNG in a Box. Check it out. It’s our fresh season, giving us the ability to connect with you wherever you are and helping you to begin a study in your home or church. We want to be a part of your faithful journey and eagerly wait to hear your new song.
