During a recent visit with our four-year-old granddaughter, Lizzie, I overheard her singing this hymn as she drifted off to sleep:
“Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do,
If . . . (thoughtful humming pause) . . .
If . . . (another pause) . . .
If you slam your finger in the door, He will icepack it!”
You must know how that tickled me. How delightful that when Lizzie sings about God, she sings about a tender, caring God—One whom she feels certain will enter sympathetically into her world, her pain.
If you didn’t know the words of that hymn, how would you finish that phrase? “Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do . . .” What new thing do you need, want, hope God will do for you this year?
Let’s not continue on into 2013 living off of past victories, old memories, spent energies (Isa. 43:18). If you know Jesus, you serve the God who renews. Every other god will exhaust us. Only Christ offers new mercies every morning (Lam. 3:22–23). Only Christ renews our spirit (Ps. 51:10), our strength (Isa. 40:31), our mind (Rom. 12:2)—even our youth (Ps. 103:5)!
This may seem impossible in your present circumstances. Perhaps you are in a dry, dark place in your life. Consider God’s Word to you in Isaiah 43:19,
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
In your wilderness where you feel surrounded by darkness and frightened by uncertainty, He will make a way. In your dry and barren desert where you are tired and discouraged, He will make rivers of living water for you to drink from and be refreshed. That is who God is! In your hard place, God wants to minister to you. Our God does not need good conditions to make something beautiful. He uses the desert and wilderness to show His grace and provision to His own.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do. Don’t lose heart. No matter what is happening outwardly, He is renewing your inner self day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). He can put a new song in your mouth in 2013 (Ps. 40:3).
What new thing do you want to ask God for in 2013—relationally, economically, vocationally, spiritually, or physically? Ponder anew . . .
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on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 9:10 am
on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 9:40 am
I don't know if that adorable little girl pictured is your Lizzie, but she is SO cute!! (I'm a little excited these days about little girls, since I am expecting my first grandchild, a little girl, any day now. Oh to hear her sing like your little Lizzie did!!)
What a lovely devotional you have written! I plan on printing out a copy and sharing with a couple of friends who I know will be so blessed by it as I was.
"Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do." I've seen the Almighty turn my darkness into light during dark days of my husband's cancer journey, during dark days of a prodigal's walk away from God. My husband's cancer is still there, but so is God, and His joy remains in our hearts despite my husband's prognosis. Just now I am seeing my prodigal making baby steps towards His Creator and Savior, and my heart sings----
"Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him. Let the Amen sound from His people again: gladly for aye we adore Him."
Praising Him,
Arlene
on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 12:12 pm
on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 12:54 pm
on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 2:16 pm
on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 11:55 pm