MATTHEW 4:17: “From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Christmas is in the books for another year. As the year comes to an end, all focus is upon the New Year. There will be new opportunities, adventures, and yes, challenges. As I begin another year, I do so by beginning my yearly devotional journey through the entire Bible. Each year, I begin a few days before New Year’s Day, and I start with the beginning.

The beginning of Creation…

The beginning of Psalms…

The beginning of Jesus’ ministry…

It seems appropriate to begin here as I think about the beginnings of a New Year. There is nothing magical in the turn of a calendar. It is really a psychological game our mind plays. There is nothing that takes place on January 1 that is any different than what takes place on December 31. Yet, each year we approach New Year’s Day with optimism, hope, and prayer.

In a way, much like the Sabbath, New Year’s Day is a gift from God. It is a reminder of the grace and mercy of God. It is a call to realign our minds and hearts to what is important as we review the past year and hope for better things to come in the new year. Within the flick of the calendar page, our hearts cry out to God for His mercy and a beginning!

Lamentations 3:22-26: “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” NLT

“His mercies are afresh each morning!” This is the hope of the New Year. It is not because the calendar clicks from one day to the next. It is because of the faithfulness of God and His mercy, which promise a new start every morning. We can begin each morning and each New Year with the grace and mercy of God. The coming of the New Year is an invitation to recalibrate our lives. In Jesus’ words, as He began His earthly ministry, it is a time to…

“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17 NLT)

This is the Gospel. Repent of your sins, turn to God, and enter the Kingdom of Heaven! To repent is to turn. I need to turn from everything this past year that has kept me back from living fully in the power of His mercy and grace. As the writer of Hebrews exhorts,

Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” NLT

As I take time to sit before the Lord and His Word, I pray, “Lord, show me every weight in my life that is slowing me down, keeping me from fully walking in Your mercy and grace!” I have a new opportunity to recalibrate and run the race God has set before me. What a gift of God’s faithfulness and love. There is never a time when His mercies are not new, when His love will not meet me at the point of my repentance!

1 John 1:9: “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” NLT

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of new beginnings. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that are new every morning. This morning, as I look. forward to a New Year, I come to the cross anew. I repent of my sin and lay down every weight and all that hinders. Give me Your mercy and grace to run and finish the race that You have set before me! Help me live fully in the Kingdom of Heaven!

In Jesus’ Name!