Embracing a New Season: “Partnering with God”
Text: Isaiah 43:18-19Life has showed us that every body fails. Suffice me to say that failing sometimes is necessary to succeeding. But what makes losers is to fail and quit, to fail and not learn from it, to fail and not look beyond it or to fail and let it define you as a failure.
God has declared a new season and all is set for us in this Brand – New Beginning yet one fact remains crucial, which is like the proverbial statements “you can force a horse to the river but you cannot force him to drink”. If we fail to embrace the new season it does not mean we are not in the new season, it only implies that you have choose to remain in the past. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isa 43:18-19
Embracing the new season should not be looked upon as a mere motivational talk, it is serious, crucial and life determining. Because when we as mere mortal embrace this new season of a brand – new beginning, we are actually acting out our faith in God. We believe in what God is up to and we key ourselves and family into it. Embracing the New season is the call and attempt to partner with God for our blessing and change of story.
How to Embrace the New Season.
1. By Forgetting the past. I agree that the past is a part of our life and history. Some will ask why must I forget it? Well, this you must know about your past, whether one of joy and victory or sorrow and failure, your past functioned as a vehicle that brought you into today and if you must have a tomorrow you must board another vehicle to it. The destination of your past does not exceed now so let go of it else you will remain in the past today. Imagine an Olympic champion in 1936 celebrating his gold medal since then till today 2018 without preparing for and participating in any other games and event since then. That fellow has become buried in the past because from then till new champions have emerged, new records set and new history made and so the victory in 1936 is faded away and so is her glory. The past failure will make you afraid, limited and the past victory can cloud your mind, making one proud and satisfied when there are greater heights calling out to us. Did you know that the 1936 Olympic world records have now become the qualifying standard for today’s athletes, why? Because now we know we can do better! If you want to succeed in this Brand- New Beginning, the secret is not to let any incident colour your view of yourself.
2. Keep Believing in yourself. Failure in the past can lead to fear in your future Paul Said “… I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me…” Phil. 4:13. There was a man who changed high jumping history. He developed a technique of going over headfirst with his back to the bar as against the known which is that jumpers go over the bar facing it. Dick Fosbury was told by everyone including some coaches and athletes that it would not work but he believed in himself, did it and won the Gold Medal for jumping at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968 setting a new world record. Now, just every world class jumper uses his technique! That technique is known as “The Fosbury Flop”. Don’t allow critics to intimidate you, don’t let doubts stop you. Believe in God and partner with Him in this Brand – New Beginning by believing in yourself.
3. By Sacrificing to connect to the Blessing of the New Beginning: Let me give you this shocker. Not everybody will make it in this Brand – New Beginning. Just as what God has said about this year is certain, it is not about praying it to become, God has said it and it stands so. The option to make it in the New Year is yours to choose. The silent reason for the rejection of Cain and his sacrifice I am very sure is the issue of the heart condition, our attitude towards giving or offering sacrifice. God is so much delighted by our sacrifice that he demands we gather unto Him His consecrated ones who made a covenant with Him by Sacrifice – Psalm 50:5 he went further to say “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Ps 50:23.
Welcome to a New Week of Blessing, I pray that you will discover and become connected to God for your total turn around story in Jesus name - Amen.
Rev'd. Canon Joel C. Nwohiri
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