Grace, Hope and New Beginnings

Occasionally I will be sharing a more devotional type post with you. One of my favorites from the blog I contribute to on a weekly basis, Wonderfully Woven. If you are looking for encouragement, an opportunity to be uplifted and friends to come alongside you on your journey through life with Christ, be sure and visit. We have much to offer. But enough with the shameless promotion. :-) Instead, I'll just share my post and hope it encourages you!

It’s the fresh blanket of snow on the ground. It’s the green grass that grows in the spring. The flowers that dare to peek their colorful bulbs out of the earth and subject themselves to the threat of frost.

It’s the promise of the empty tomb. The white bride on her wedding day. The gift of forgiveness and the warmth of a hug.

It’s a new beginning. The opening of a flower, the fresh star of a new season.

God’s grace is that. A new beginning. A new promise. The chance to start over and have everything wrong we’ve ever done cast as far as the east is from the west.

Grace is one of my favorite words. Another is hope. The two truly go hand in hand. We hope for the new beginning Jesus promises to us. And grace extends a hand to our hope, wraps its warm fingers around ours and pulls us close, whispering promises of every new chance. Every new hope.

We have hope in Jesus coming back and taking us as His bride to Heaven on the Day of Judgment. We have grace knowing we are forgiven and loved by a Savior that gave His all for our salvation.

May is one of my favorite months out of the year. It springs forth new life and promises the rebirth of all that was old and dead and dormant during the long, cold winter. When we breathe in the hope and promise of a new beginning it almost seems as though nothing can daunt us. The world is in the palm of our hand and we can take on anything with just a pair of flip flops and a hat to keep the sun from burning our cheeks.

When we strip away all our insecurities, throw away the fears and wrap ourselves in the warmth of the Son’s love there is nothing that can defeat us.

For if God is for us, then who can stand against us? Who? Nothing can stand against us. Nothing can stand between us and the new beginning that God gives us through the death and resurrection of His Son.

When I think of what Jesus has done to give me a new beginning, my heart swells with a deep-seated love and longing for this Man that came to earth for me…for you.

He gave us a new beginning in our relationships. In our marriage. In our friendships. In our jobs. In our lives. It doesn’t matter what the past says about you; that’s not what God says about you. It doesn’t matter where you’ve gone and what you’ve done. God has forgiven that and given you a new beginning in Him.

His grace gives us hope that there is more to this life then just muddling through. Then just making a mistake. Then feeling like a failure. Then wondering if you will ever “arrive” or “make it”.

You might have sensed a theme throughout this post. I hope so. Because I want you to know that your new beginning doesn’t have an expiration date. It doesn’t disappear if you don’t take advantage of it soon enough or lose it because you’ve made too many mistakes.

Don’t doubt the power of God’s love. His new beginning is your grace. Your salvation. Your hope.