The Joy of a New Beginning

Because we are fallible - capible of making mistakes and the reason for this is the fallen nature - a nature which we as christians wrestle with every day.

By the power of the holy Spirit as we lean on God we have the victory. But terribly, shamfully nand disgrasfully there are times when we lean not on God but on out own understanding, and when that happens it always resulkts in sin and transgression.

The Bible is not shy about this.

As you read scripture and rthe loives of God’s peoiple, especually the big names - you willnotyice that God does not gloss over their mistakes - makes makes them plain. from Abrahams Lies about his wife being his sister to Moses’s act of murder and anger.

But perhaps the man whos life, mistakes, errors and sins that has been laid open for the world is King David.

Each one of us can say a prayer of thanks that our lives have not been made so plublic, for if we were as exposed as david we would hide our heads in shame.

But God never did this to shame David - rather to show us, that dispite David’s terrible failures - God can aleays give us a new beginbing.

The Back Story

Today i want to share a prayer of thanksgibing from David for a new begining.

But first we have to see what happened that David needed God’s grace.

So the backstoiry to this psalm is

2 Samuel 24:1–4 ESV

1 Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” 3 But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4 But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:10 ESV

10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

2 Samuel 24:15 ESV

15 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men.

David gets prideful and arrognat in his power and basically says - count of many people are under MY KINGDOM.

And God punishes him for his pride, a punishment that results in the death of 70 000 men!

Now i have made some pretty sefrious mistakes but none have cost anyone their lives! - So If God can give David a new begining AGHAIN! This is not his first time - then He can give one to you to.

“The Victorious Christian Life is a series of New beginnings” - George Morrison.

A New Victory: From Death to Life

Psalm 30:1–3 ESV

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sin always leads to death - ultimatly physical but before then the death of many things. The death of trust in marriage, the death of peace in life. The death of hope for tomorrow.

David knew that his sin lead to the death of 70 000, and the guiolt of their death lay so heavy on him that he feels like he is in hell itself.

And the start of evey new beging in found in the 2nd verse: I cried to God for Help!

I want you to notice this cry: There was not blamimng, no justifying, no explaining, no excuses, just fat out repentance.

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

God can and will give you a new begining this day if you repenbt of our ins, your unbelief, your slackness.

A New Day - From Night to Morning.

Psalm 30:4–5 ESV

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

A moment of painful discapline followed by a lifetime of grave and favor. A single night of darkness followed by an eternal shineshine.

This is the power of God’s grace to give us a fresh begining.

Darkness and weeping are not forever - the sun will ride by God’s grace.

Malachi 4:2 ESV

2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Storm are dangerious to calves. They lack the think wool to keep them warm and a drenched young calf in the storm is as good as dead.

So when the storm comers at night in the cold darkness - the calves becomes so weak. They just stand under whatever frail shelter thay can, they loose all hope and life itself, In fact wolves often hunt in storms because the calves are such easy targets - they are so scared and broken thet they dont even look out for danger.

That is how some of you are because of your mistakes. The cold night of guilt and transgression has come all around you and you stand dejected and broken, an easy target.

But when the Son of Righteousness rises in your lives, the calves shall go out leaping - dancing, rejoicing!

A New Heart - From Pride to Humility

Psalm 30:6–10 ESV

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

Let me teach you a very valuble life lesson:

Prosperity without Humility lead to Adversity

You know your prosperity is without himility when you use your prosperity for evil. Its mine and i can do what i want.

EWxamples: You use your prosperity to get drunk - Buy Drungs, watch porn, stream fgilthy movies and seriies.

Deuteronomy 8:18 ESV

18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Do you think God have you strength to get wealth, so you could buy a TV, get netflix, pay for the internet - all this prosperity, just so you can t watch 50 shades of gery or game of thrones?

Your prosperity is resulting in sin becasuse of pride - and pain will follow.

Job 16:12 ESV

12 I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;

Finally:

A New Song - From Mourning to Rejoicing

Psalm 30:11–12 ESV

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Once David had been made secure in the gracious forgivness of God, which he knew to be true based on his genuine repentace before God, he moved from the funeral to trhe feast.

And he notes the change of clothes: Sackgloth to gladness.

We cannot live in a perpetual state of defeat. I call this pity parties.

Sour faces and i say what happened - I ate a lemon - oh my- yes, 15 years ago - and yo still have the face?