Devotionals for the Heart: Reset

A New Beginning
A devotional by Glynis Becker

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!” –Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)

We are creatures of time. We need cycles, seasons, and delineations of days and years on a calendar. We need these things because God created us to need them. The moving forward of time, and the changing from one year to another, however arbitrary, gives us a chance for a reset.

We all need a reset. Over and over we need a chance to see our lives as a fresh start, whether that just means getting a good night’s sleep to feel ready to go in the morning, or a season of quiet before a new activity begins. We need cycles. The new year brings us a chance to start a new habit or get rid of an old one. We see it as a chance to get into shape or lose a few pounds. I’m using this year to read the Bible through, something I haven’t done for several years. It will be a chance for me to see God’s story in a fresh way.

As most one-year Bible plans do, my first readings have been the story of creation that starts in Genesis 1:1-5 (NLT). Read these verses with me:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. 

These verses remind me that the very first thing God created was the cycle of day and night, before He created the sun and moon or even people! Those cycles of rest and activity have been around for a very long time, so it’s no wonder we need them so badly.

The creation account reminds me that God worked, then He rested. We need rest, but we also have work to do. God created the world from nothing, bringing order out of chaos. In this new year we need to do the same. The world needs light and peace and order and the only way to bring it is to allow Jesus into everything we do. Each of us has been given the task to help others hear the Good News and bring glory to God.

It’s a new year. Maybe He is giving you new work to do for Him. Or maybe this year will be a season of rest for you before a new activity. Spend time in prayer with Him today. He’ll give you a fresh word because that is what He does!

Let’s Pray: Lord you are a constant Creator. You bring order to a world that looks out of control and You bring light to darkness. Give me work to do and give me rest when it is done. Remind me that You are in control and that You are our hope in a world that can look hopeless. Your mercies are always new and You are always at work. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~

Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.