Power of Starting All Over Again

Key Scripture:  “And now here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again. I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her.  I’ll give her bouquets of roses.  I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.  She’ll respond like she did as a young girl when she was fresh out of Egypt.” Hosea 2:14, 15 The Message

Power Point:

There’s something to be said for starting over isn’t there?  Sometimes we keep doing things over and over again in the same way and expect different results don’t we? We try to bring old thought patterns into our “new” place and wonder why we don’t get “new” results? We try all the “old” solutions that we tried before and they just don’t work. I guess that’s why God tells us that when He brings us the “new”, we need to leave the past behind. We need to leave those old patterns of thinking and doing, and grumbling and complaining, and doubt and unbelief and hopelessness and failure behind. If He gives us everything “new” shouldn’t we change some things?

I don’t know about you but I’ve spent way to much time trying to bring my “old” life into my “new” one. This passage in Hosea is such a good description of what we do isn’t it?  God knows that we’ll keep trying the old ways so He says He’ll bring us back to the place where we can start all over again. When He speaks of bringing us back to the wilderness, He’s speaking of taking us back to the private place where we began our walk with Him; to the place where our hearts were eager and fresh to listen to what He had to say and where “Heartbreak Valley" became Acres of Hope. When He does that, when He refreshes our souls, hope is restored and life becomes full of potential and possibility, just as He intends it to be.

Beloved, you have that privilege and opportunity every single day of your life. You can go back to “square one” with Him and start all over again. When “life” happens, and it begins to choke the Life out of your heart, start over. Just like the prodigal son, go back to the place where you knew His embrace, where you “had your first date” and begin again to be transformed by the Truth that sets you free. Put Him first.  Put His thoughts first. Embrace His plans even though they are very different from yours; because they are different from yours. Trust Him to transform trouble into a place of Hope. It’s what He does best.

Start fresh.

Power Thought:

Somewhere there’s a place called hope. He’s waiting for you there to start all over again.