Behold! He makes all things new!
The new year typically brings "new year's resolutions" that last a few days or, in some cases, maybe weeks-months before they fall by the way side and we find ourselves stuck in the same old ruts. We wake up on January 1 the following year with the same resolutions, rinse, and repeat.
I am not a fan of new year's resolutions. I am a fan of making short and long term goals followed up with evaluating and re-evaluating throughout the year. (Not saying I am successful at this, just that I'm a fan of it!) This new year, my son preached a wonderful sermon at his church. It was an encouragement to do away from the pattern of annual resolutions that we most often break and, instead, focus on transforming our lives. You can watch it here if you like: New Year, New Me?
Romans 12:2 ...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Before we can transform anything, we must see it as it truly is. If we aim to transform ourselves, we must have access to an accurate reflection. There are many things that have the potential to obscure our reflection; way too many to discuss in one post. The one I have been drawn to consider is CHAOS.
Several years ago, I set a goal to read through the whole Bible each year, a different translation each time. This year, I'm reading the NKJV (The YouVersion Bible App helps me stay on track!). In recent months, water has been a repetitive theme in studies, listening prayers, and discussions with Kingdom brothers and sisters. As I began my Bible reading for the year, that water theme jumped right out. Genesis 1:2 "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
The first matter to exist was a formless, empty(void), dark, deep glob: a glob of chaos. "Formless and void" are translated from Hebrew, 'tohu wa-bohu,' depicting a place of chaos, formless, emptiness, a wasteland" (Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon). It is hard to envision such a vast, unwieldy mass of chaos ("the deep"). Before God created any living creature, including mankind, He brought chaos into order, separating the waters and forming dry land. It was not until the flood that He released these waters (chaos) to destroy the earth.
There are several references in Scripture relating to overwhelming, frightening, chaotic waters and God's power over them. Among them are: Genesis 6-9 (the flood), Psalm 124 God protecting his people), Mark 4:35-41/Luke 8:22-25 (Jesus calmed the storm), James 1:6-8 (lack of faith=tossed by the waves), and Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea."
No more sea = NO MORE CHAOS
Somehow, this is the first time I've seen the connection here. John's vision emphasized there was no more chaos. When I saw the meme at the beginning of this post, I thought of this verse. The FIRST thing that must happen for anything to become new/for any transformation to occur: Remove the chaos. We are not capable of seeing an accurate reflection in the midst of mildly flowing water, let alone boiling, stormy water.
My own chaos typically arises from time management failure and takes the form of busy-ness, struggling to say, 'no,' wild and wandering thoughts, anxiety, and excessive social media engagement. In my own strength, I am not capable of overcoming the chaos that defines my life. Thankfully, I don't have to tackle it alone! God said, "Be still (cease striving) and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10
Is He saying to just give up and stop trying? Of course not. Throughout this Psalm, He emphasizes that regardless what kind of chaos we're fretting about;
HE is present.
HE is in control.
HE has power over it.
HE is our refuge.
The first step to a transformed self is to seek HIM. He is the calm, still, living water. Only in HIM do we find refuge and the solace to see ourselves clearly, confess our weaknesses, and let HIM lead us into newness.
Behold! HE makes all things new!
