New Start
This is for the downtrodden and the broken. Those who feel as if they’ve had enough and can not stand up. This is for those who’ve been beaten, accepted their defeat, and will not rise to their feet.
You need a new beginning.
Sometimes, life will give you situations in which you need to move on from the negative elements from your past and change. Some will change the types of clothes that they wear, the people that they frequent, or the city that they live in. All to get that fresh start. I will not be the one to condemn you; on the contrary, I salute you and commend you for what you are doing.
But allow me to add a nugget of wisdom: Follow God.
Wherever you may decide to go, or whatever you may decide to do, follow the creator of Heaven and Earth. He alone can provide for you (2 Corinthians 9:8), for He knows the plans of peace and prosperity that He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
Know that this God that we are to serve has a very good track record in terms of saving people from unhealthy situations. Remember that He called Abraham to leave his father’s - who most likely was an idolator - house and to move to a strange country; in return, He would be blessed abundantly (Genesis 12). The people of Israel, who had been slaves to Egypt and the Pharaoh, were led by Moses, who was led by God Himself, out of there and into the desert to flee slavery (Exodus 12:31-51). In both of those cases, those who followed God were brought to promised lands, in which the Father’s name was glorified and all of those who had seen the worst of life were able to be free and happy in His love. Just like you can.
And there may be some of you who feel as if God left you and is no longer with you - that you have been abandoned - know that that is not true. While God may have allowed you to be tempted, as Paul said to the Corinthians:
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Know that God does not abandon those who cling to Him. In fact, He blesses those who continue to have faith and eventually rewards them. The Bible is filled with examples of people who fell to the temptations or who did not fall to temptations in their worst days, but God was still there for them. Need proof?
Joseph did not abandon his God and was even put in prison because he did not want to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. He would eventually be released from prison and lead Egypt, saving his family in the process.
David was chased by the King of Israel, Saul. Pursued relentlessly, David kept to his morals and to the word of God, not killing the anointed King. He would wait for his turn at the throne that he knew was supposed to be his and eventually became king.
Job lost his children, his wealth, belongings, and health in one fell swoop. As you probably read through the entire story of Job, even though many try to convince him to abandon his walk with God, he does not. He ends up getting the double of everything that he had before and a renewed faith.
So What Now? Know this simple fact: whatever situation that you are going through will never be stronger than the God who split the season, created the stars, and put breath in the lungs of man. There is nothing that can not be resolved. If you are on that new journey, walk with pride and walk in the truth of the Word of God in everything that you do in your new beginning.
All the best, be blessed.
Eli