Something New

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Today's Passage: Acts chapters 16-20
Memory Verse(s): Acts 17:28

We all love the smell and feel of things that are brand- spanking new; those shoes that we wish we could let stay in the box forever. That furniture looked so wonderful in the store, we practically glared at everyone who wanted to sit on it when we first brought it home. And don't even get me started about the cars we've purchased! We'd give anything to make each one maintain its shiny exterior, doing our best to drive it without leaving smudges or dirt.

But sooner or later, the inevitable happens. That shine begins to wear off. The brand new smell gradually disappears, and absorbs the common, everyday smells like other things. And then the new things become used and unappreciated... Like everything else. What happens after that? We begin the whole cycle again-- giving or throwing away what we once cherished so greatly, only to make room for more of the same.

In today's passage, the Greeks were so fed up with knowledge that they were hungry for something to give their lives meaning again. The funny thing about this habit is that we sometimes see our walk in Christ in pretty much the same way. When we first give our hearts to the Lord, we can't wait to tell others what He's done in us. Every waking moment is vital and consumed by the fact that we've been made new. But something happens to change that mindset. Perhaps we've spent entirely too much time on this earth, because we begin to get bored with the things of God, thinking we can find excitement and satisfaction elsewhere.

But nothing God purchased for us gets old -- in fact, He is so far removed from aging and outside of time that we have to renew our minds every 24 hours just to be able to keep up with Him. If you asked me, I'd definitely tell you this: we'd never have a dull moment if we actually spent our time attending to matters such as conforming to the image of God's Son Jesus. That alone would make it impossible for us to do anything else. Every morning, His mercies are new so that we don't even have to look at the world in the same manner that we did yesterday. In short, believers should never be looking for somewhere to deposit our relationship with God because it's old and worn out. There's ALWAYS something new and wondrous to discover.


Prayer: Father, I've known You now for quite some time, but keep finding brand new things about You. Your Holy Spirit gives me the freedom to explore new territority and keeps me longing for more. Thank You for giving me Yourself. There are NO limits in You. I pray now for my brothers and sisters who're tired of spitting up and swallowing the same old lives if they don't know You. I pray that for even the ones who do, but have allowed their walk to get cold, may they experience a whole new dimension of You that totally transforms and rejuvenates them forever. In Jesus' Name, Amen!