The Blessing of New

The Blessing

By William M. Self, Sr.

 

 
 

Has your New Year come in with explosive power and praise?

If not, it may be because you did not have a time of silence in the old

This exercise not only creates a grateful heart but an expectant heart

 

The Blessing of New

I think we all like new things.

New refers to something recently made, discovered, or created.

New is the opposite of old.

Therefore, new brings change into our lives.

New brings with it a fresh start.

New allows us to believe in the good, better and best for life.

It is a fact we need new in our lives.

New is not something we always want to embrace

because we get comfortable with the old.

But even old things we are to carry all

 our lives need new arrangements…

Like a marriage or our relationship with the Lord.

These relationships are refreshed as

we bring in newness into them.

Our God realizes our need for newness

is a daily need when He says…

“His mercies are new every morning.”

  

Awaiting us every morning is God’s forgiveness.

Our failures of fear, doubt, lust and greed which

angered God yesterday seem to vanish through the night.

 And we are given a new day and new opportunity to get it right.

God not only gives us new days, He gives us new years.

It is possible for a new year to happen and the

only change you make is when you write

 the date on your checks that pay the bills.

To fully appreciate or get the impact of the new is to have a pause…

 A silence between the old and the new.

That is what the Psalmist is saying in Psalms 65…

 “Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion”

The Amplified Bible says it this way…

“TO YOU belongs silence (the submissive wonder 

of  reverence which bursts forth into praise) and 

praise is due and fitting to You, O God, in Zion;”

I think Psalms 65 is a New Year Psalm.

At the end of the year, there is a silence… 

A time of reflecting.

God waits for our praise as we reflect

on what He has done and who He is.

  

We remind ourselves why praise is due to Him.

This exercise not only creates a

grateful heart but an expectant heart.

It combines the old and the new together.

If you and I don’t have these times of silences in our life,

 we are missing the full effect of the new God has for us.

And our praise for God becomes mundane rather than explosive.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 65:1-4 NIV

65 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;

to you our vows will be fulfilled.

2 O you who hear prayer,

to you all men will come.

3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,

you forgave our transgressions.

4 Blessed are those you choose

and bring near to live in your courts!

We are filled with the good things of your house,

of your holy temple.