Are you ready for a fresh start? A new beginning? A clean slate? Yesterday is over. Can’t get it back. There are no do-overs. Today is new and full of potential. A fresh start is not forgetting about the past. Yesterday was an investment of your one-and-only life. But the failure of yesterday is over. A new day provides an opportunity for repair and restoration. It’s time to move forward on the right path. Join me today and in the days ahead for a fresh start.
Let’s begin with a passage that describes the actions necessary to be blessed.
Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Choosing the right road to travel is the first step to a fresh start. A person is blessed when they refuse to walk with the wicked, stand with the sinners, or take a seat with scoffers. I like the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse in The Message. He says, “You don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.” Those intent on walking with God have better ways to invest their time.
Those on the right path value the time spent enjoying God’s love letter. It is not a check-the-box reading of the Bible, but rather allowing God’s Word to penetrate the heart and mind by considering it throughout the day. The word “meditate” is a picture of a lion eating his prey. The lion takes his time and enjoys the reward of the hunt.
When God’s Word is not just in your hands but in your heart, you’ll be like a tree planted by streams of water. You will not be stuck or stagnant. The water flows and provides daily nourishment. That sustenance produces fruit in your life and spiritual vitality—freshness. It never fades away!
Today really is the first day of the rest of your life. The old is gone; the new is here. It’s time for a fresh start. It’s time for a focused start. It’s time to renew your commitment to Christ. It’s time to reignite your spiritual life. It’s time to put down deep and lasting roots in the fertile spiritual soil where the unending springs flow.
Father, today I exit the road filled with sinners and scoffers and strike out on a new path to fertile spiritual ground. Help me stay on that road where every step is a fresh start. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today is my first day of retirement! How appropriate was this start of this devotional?!??
THANK you! And praise to the Lord!