While some children are beginning to come down from the high of all the new things they opened on Christmas, many never cease to see something new through the eyes of wonder, excitement and endless possibility. As children become adults, the excitement and wonder about new things often wains in light of experiences, regrets, disappointments and historical let downs. The last two years have done nothing but feed that part of our heart and diminished our hopes and dreams. 

GOD WANTS TO DO A NEW THING

Yet despite all of those things God is stirring up our hearts to get excited once again for the new thing that He wants to do in and through us. The prophet Isaiah foretold of our day: 

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) – “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

The Hebrew word used here means “something fresh, something new”. God desires to do something fresh and new in your life. God wants to reveal Himself to you in a new and fresh way. God wants to give you a new perspective in the midst of your difficulty. But there is a key you must understand. You can’t experience God’s new with an old mindset. You will find the new and walk in the new when you see it through a new lens, perspective and understanding.

HOW THE CHOSEN HAS IMPACTED ME

Many believers have been impacted by the series called “The Chosen”. This series has shed new light on the characters we all know as the original followers of Christ. If you talk to people who have watched The Chosen, many would share how a particular character has impacted them and why. For me, the one that has touched my heart has been Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a brilliant man and highly regarded by the religious leaders and general Jewish population of his day. In a private conversation that John records in his gospel, we see Nicodemus drawn to the new thing that Jesus was doing because he recognized that what Jesus was doing was unexplainable [John 3:2].

Then immediately after this Jesus introduced a new way to be saved. Jesus introduced the concept of being born again in the Kingdom of God. We know today that what Jesus was beginning to introduce was the new covenant that would be ratified in and through Christ Himself. In light of that, look at Nicodemus’ response to Jesus:

John 3:4-7 [NIV] – “⁴ How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely, they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ ⁵ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”

Nicodemus desperately tried to understand Jesus’ new thought but could not because he was looking at it through an old lens. He had an understanding of God but lived in an old season with an old mindset. One thing that I have personally understood through my own journey from the old to the new is this: when you walk in the old you are always looking for proof, but when you walk in the new God uses you as the proof. In other words, God desires to show you off as proof of His new to the world around you.

In The Chosen, Jesus invited Nicodemus to follow Him on this journey towards this new truth. However, in this gut-wrenching scene, we see Nicodemus hiding behind a wall, looking at Jesus from a distance, caught between the wonder of the new and his firm grasp on the old. At that particular moment, we see him choose to stay in the old, rather then embrace the new.

My prayer is that each and everyone of you would have the courage to let go of the old and embrace the new that God is doing.  God’s desire is to make you a new person so that you can embrace His new and live out the new season He has for your life.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE FOR GOD’S NEW SEASON?

God has a purpose for every season in your life. God also has a divine purpose for anything new that He wants to do in and through your life. The purpose of God’s new season is threefold:

1. To bring about change.
2. To bring about growth.
3. To bring about revelation.

God wants to change you from who you used to be into the person He has created you to be. Out of that change will come a new sense of identity in Christ and clarity regarding your purpose and mission. He also wants to bring about spiritual growth in your life. He wants you to understand His Word and obey it so that you can live out the fruit and blessing of a godly life. Lastly, He wants you walk in greater revelation of who He is. One dictionary meaning of revelation is “information that is newly disclosed”. God wants to reveal to you His new, so that you can live it out and impact those around you.

As we enter 2022, let’s embrace the new that God wants to do!