Left Behind

The New Year is quickly approaching. Every year we make resolutions that we have trouble keeping and we all vow to leave the old in the passing year. The New Year seems to be the time when we abandon those things that do not add value to our lives. We are convinced that if we leave things in the old year, the New Year will be different. While that may be true, we have to be careful not to leave anything behind that we actually need.

It takes maturity to rummage through the trash of our pasts to find the treasures that will help us walk towards our future. I read an article recently that said the divorce rate for January 2014 will be higher than ever based on the amount of people that filed within the last 60 days of 2013. While some people are entering relationships for the cold weather, others are ending them. I can’t help but think that some of these people have made the decision to leave their spouses in 2013 with hopes that they will find peace and happiness without them in 2014. The end of the year is a time of reflection that leaves some people feeling like they need to carry the least amount of baggage possible into the newness of what a flip on the calendar holds.

Isaiah 43:19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

God doesn’t need a New Year to do something new in your life and He can do it with whatever He wants. We have to decide that everything is not meant to be left in 2013, some things are attached to you forever. They are part of you and you are part of them. We can’t assume that because something is difficult or requires more effort that it’s not God’s plan for our lives. I’ve been studying David’s road to the throne and what keeps jumping out at me is that he went through so much before he even received his promise from God. David was persistent in what he knew was meant for him even though it was hard to attain.

Before you drop things off in 2013, make sure you’ve surveyed where they came from. Are you giving up on a promise, a family member, friend, dream, or a spouse because it’s requiring more work than you are willing to put in? Or has God released you to give it to Him but you’ve resolved to just give it up? Giving it to God is not the same as giving up or leaving it behind, it’s handing it over to the One who gave it to you.

There may be treasure in what you’ve declared as 2013’s trash. Be humble enough to make an accurate assessment. God can do a new thing with what you’re calling old. Sarah was an old woman that God used to birth a new promise. While everyone (including herself) wanted to leave her behind and abandon the word God spoke over her, God was still planning to carry Sarah into newness. Don’t resolve to give up on something that requires more work than you anticipated. If it came from God, it’s worth everything you’ll put into it and more!

With All My Love,
Mrs. Truscott