2026 A Fresh Start

 

At the beginning of 2025, as a Christian, I dedicated my life, time, and efforts to the Lord. I wanted to give him my best, but I didn’t become the person I had hoped to be. I wanted to be better, yet I failed often, sinned often, and did not show the Lord the faithful servant I longed to be.

If this sounds like you, this article is for you. I want to share three thoughts with you.

First: The Lord Knows Our Frame

David says:

 For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Ps 103:14, NIV)

 This shows that the Lord, our Creator, fully knows our human nature, its weaknesses as well as its strengths.

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He knows that as long as we are still in the flesh, living in this world, we will continue to struggle with our old nature even after coming to faith. “He remembers that we are dust” points ahead to the day when we will be with him in heaven, no longer under the power of sin or temptation.

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So do not be crushed by disappointment with yourself. In the same psalm, David says:

 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him (vv. 12–13).

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Notice the first part: the Lord has removed our transgressions from us,

that is our salvation. The second part shows his ongoing compassion for us as believers, just as a loving father cares for his children, which is meant to comfort our hearts.

From this, we learn that the Lord deals with us as his beloved children, knowing exactly who we are and yet fully embracing us in grace

Second: The Lord Is the Good Shepherd

Jesus says:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

 This is powerful because, in this chapter, he contrasts his relationship with the sheep to three other kinds of relationships.

First, there is the stranger. Jesus explains:

They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (v. 5)

The flock instinctively refuses to trust a voice it does not know.

Second, there is the thief. Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10). So he warns his hearers not to follow such a leader, because doing so will ruin their lives.

Third, there is the hired hand. Jesus explains, “When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it” (v. 12). The hired hand has no real commitment to the sheep and will not risk anything for them.

In contrast, none of these, stranger, thief, or hired hand, has real compassion for the flock, but Jesus says, “I lay down my life for the sheep” (v. 15). That is exactly what he did at the cross.

From this, we learn that we are in the hands of a faithful God, the One who gave his life for us even while we were still sinners. His sacrificial care proves that believers are truly safe with him 

Third: The Lord Gives Hope Despite Our Constant Failures

Scripture says

The righteous falls seven times and rises again” (Prov 24:16, ESV)

In the Bible, the number seven often conveys the idea of completeness, so the picture is of a righteous person who may fall into sin many times, yet does not stay down.

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He must rise again, not in his own strength, but by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth keeps believers standing on the solid rock of God’s love, no matter how often their performance falls short.

Therefore, through the Lord’s promises and his fatherly love, we have all the hope we need to begin again with a fresh start at any time. Do not let Satan weigh you down by focusing on your performance; instead, remember God’s constant, unconditional, eternal love for you