It’s a New Day

Cindy and I had the opportunity to spend the New Year’s weekend with our kids in Albuquerque. On Sunday morning I was able to attend service with them (Cindy was not feeling well). At the end of the service the pastor encouraged the congregation to pray for one another. I took the opportunity to pray for my daughter.

As I was praying, I found myself thanking the Lord for the “new day” that was dawning. I don’t know if it resonated with Brittni but it struck a chord with me and I have been thinking and praying a lot about it since then. It brought back the lyrics of a song that we sang decades ago,

For it’s a new day that’s dawning

It’s a new wave that’s coming,

and the glory of the Lord shall cover thee-

So come arise now my spirit,

and receive the love of Jesus,

and believe what He said He will do.

More recently, and the song we sang today, the worship song 10,000 Reasons celebrates the dawning of the new day.

Bless the Lord, o my soul, o my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before, o my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name.

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning

It’s time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

Sunrises are beautiful. They are filled with majesty, warmth, and colorful beauty. Is it too much to imagine for our own lives? I don’t think so.

God Creates the New Day

I’ve thought about this idea of the new day. I’ve sung about it for many years and never questioned it. But this week I’ve asked myself, “Can it be proven? Is it reliable? Can it be tested? Can I really hope that it is true?”

We know that God spoke the universe, biology, physics, chemistry into existence. Even atheists now admit that the universe is expanding and that there was a ‘first cause’. As believers we understand the 1st cause.

Genesis 1:1–5 NIV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

This begins the dawn, the new day. Some say it is the greatest miracle of the Bible. I would reserve that the resurrection is but, nevertheless, we don’t have one without the other. At the creation of the world God spoke the day into existence and He is still the Lord of the new day today.

I believe that God wants to declare ‘new days’ in our lives and I hope to build your faith this morning to believe that God offers you a ‘new day’ as well.

Why Do I Believe We Should Expect New Days in Our Lives

Following Jesus Is a Journey

Being a Christian is entering into a lifestyle of faith and response (obedience/repentance/even waiting). It isn’t simply about a once in a lifetime decision. There was a progression with the encounters of the disciples and Jesus. Jesus didn’t offer them a true/false question. He asked them to “come and follow”. It then became “Come and see”. And finally, the deepest of all commitments, was “come and be”.

Paul alludes to the journey for the Christian…

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

I believe that God can promise new days, new dawn, because His glory continues to be revealed to us.

I Believe New Days Are Coming Because God Is Good

Romans 8:28 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

On our trip back to Houston I heard these lyrics, “…if it’s not good, He’s not done yet”. They are found in a song by Tauren Wells and Elevation. The song expresses what many of us feel when we are in the middle of a storm.

… Everything happens for a reason

But you don't know what you don't know

And you'll never have peace if you don't let go of tomorrow

'Cause it ain't even faith 'til your plan falls apart

But you still choose to follow

If it doesn't make sense right now

It will when it's over

… There will be joy in the morning

There will be joy in the morning

… Giving in to your feelings

Is like drowning in the shallows

Oh, you got to keep believing

Even in the middle of the unknown

'Cause grace will be there when you come to the end of your rope

And you let go

It may feel like you're going down now

But the story isn't over, oh

… There will be joy in the morning

There will be joy in the morning, aye

If it's not good, then He's not done

No, He's not done with it yet

There will be joy in the morning,

In the natural we want to shout, “There is no new day happening for me!” That is when we need to put on the armor of God and declare in faith that the new day is coming. We stand on the promise of Rom 8:28 and know that God is working good for us.

I Believe a New Day Because God Has Empowers Us to Walk into that New Day

I’ve chosen a verse from Philippians to illustrate this point. But notice that it wraps the journey, the goodness of God, and the empowerment from God together to build our confidence:

Philippians 1:4–6 NIV

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In this passage the emphasis of Paul is on Christian assurance, “being confident…that he who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion”. J. A. Moyter says this:

The content of verses 3–7 runs like this. Paul’s memory of the Philippians yields the double fruit of thanksgiving to God (3) and joyful intercession for them (4). The particular matter for thanksgiving (5) is their fellowship in furthering the gospel. But all the while, whether taken up with thanksgiving or supplication, he has one unchanging conviction (6): God will never let them go, but will make them fully perfect. This conviction, Paul holds, is securely based (7), for it arises from his love for them, and, loving them as he does, he cannot but feel assured that they will remain in Christ.

It is this assurance that God continues to work through His Spirit in each of us.

I Believe in the Dawning of a New Day Because God Renews His Mercy

Times of discouragement come. That is just a part of living. Unfortunately, in those times it is easy to spend time in self-pity or self-loathing. We can feel like we don’t deserve new days. The good news is that God is endlessly merciful.

Lamentations 3:21–24 NIV

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Jeremiah was the author of Lamentations. From everything that he was seeing it looked like Israel’s hope was gone. They were taken into captivity. That is what Lamentations is all about. But he calls to mind. He speaks to himself, says my soul. He has faith for hope. He knows that the love of the Lord never ceases, and his mercies are unending. There are times when we need to speak truth to the lies that the enemy plants in our minds. We can have hope. We serve a loving God. His mercies never end and are refreshed daily.

These are just a few thoughts about why I believe that we can embrace a bright and beautiful new day. Take these thoughts and make them your own.

Embracing Your New Day

On New Year’s Day we sat with our family and spoke one word for what we hoped 2024 would bring. My word was dawn, like the subject of the message today, but others spoke words like truth, present, follow-through, and renewal. What would be your word be for a New Day?

Our upcoming sermon series will pick up on this theme. I’ve titled it Freedom and it asks the question, “Is something holding you back from the life God has for you?” We will be learning from the Bible about how past hurts, ongoing habits, and hang-ups need to be given up to experience the New Day that God offers.

Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure. Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow…and the list goes on.

It will take courage…

It will take faith…

It will require righteousness…(knowledge of the truth, adherence to the truth)

It will require repentance

It will require surrender

But, the benefit is a NEW Day from the Lord with all of His blessings.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know who holds tomorrow…and He is good.

A NEW DAY tomorrow? Could it be true? I believe it is and I hope that you do too now. I think that we can link up to the faith and courage of the Apostle Paul who said…

Philippians 3:13–14 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Do you need a NEW DAY? I do. Let’s agree together and believe together that God has amazing things in store for our each of us individually, for our marriages, for our families.