The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
As we head into 2021, there has been more hype than usual regarding the start of a new year. Considering the challenges of 2020, this is not surprising. It made me wonder, why do we make such a big deal about the turning of a calendar page? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m right there too. From the time my parents allowed me, I have stayed up to ring in the new year at the stroke of midnight. I make resolutions, and have varying degrees of success attaining them. I believe the reason behind the excitement of a new year is that it is seen as a chance for a fresh start, a clean slate.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we get the ultimate fresh start. Our slate is wiped clean because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. The Bible tells us that we become new beings.
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18 NLT
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
This is such good news! We can put our past behind us and begin a new life as a follower of Christ. This opportunity is available to us any day, any time. It is not a one-time thing. When we stumble on our walk with Christ (We are human. There will be stumbles.), we continually have the ability for fresh starts. His mercies never cease and begin afresh each morning. Each morning! God’s endless supply of grace and mercy is always there. Once we have confessed our sins and asked for His forgiveness, we should move forward, living from a place of redemption, rather than wallowing in guilt. This is a struggle for me. I tend to replay my sins and go through the “if only” scenarios in my mind well after I have repented and asked God’s forgiveness. If we are still enduring earthly consequences from our mistakes, it can be especially difficult to move forward, but in God’s eyes, we are clean. This is the message of the gospel. It is why Jesus endured the cross. Every day is a new opportunity to glorify God and draw closer to Him.
Do you have regrets that you are holding on to? If so, I urge you to take them to the cross. Confess them to God and let his mercy and forgiveness wash over you. Then walk forward as a new person in Christ, white as freshly fallen snow.
