Every year on January 1st, here on this earth, we celebrate a new calendar year around the world and is often, by many, considered a day to make new starts in life. I often find it unfortunate that many wait specifically for this day to make these new starts. Did you know that we have the most amazing God who tells us that every day is made new? We find this in Lamentations 3:22-23 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

We start fresh every morning when we wake up! A new start, a clean slate, a new beginning. We don’t have to wait for a year to celebrate the wonderful work that God does every day in our lives. And similarly, 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that old things have passed away, and all things have become new, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

We can have a New Day Celebration every day! I am glad that we do not have to wait for another year to start afresh. Or to wait a year, to resolve to let go of past hurts, hang-ups or addictions. And when we find ourselves falling short of our goals, we don’t have to until next year to start over and pick up the pieces. We can do that right here and now! Today and every day! Seeing that today coincides with a new year, we can do both. We can commit to the changes today and ask God to help us to carry these changes, these commitments or resolutions, into this new year.

I would like to pray over all of us who might have set for themselves a new goal of getting in shape, eating right, quitting this or start that. Or perhaps you have committed to making amends with someone you have hurt or to let go of the hurt someone has inflicted on you. Or possibly you have laid something at the foot of the cross as this new year begins.

This is my prayer for all of us, "God grants us the wisdom and the perseverance to make the desired changes and to hold fast to the resolutions that You have for us as this new year begins. Encourage us to enter this year with the assurance of Romans 8:37 'Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.'”

May God richly bless and keep you this new year!

Mark Lauer