A New Day, A New Hope
“LORD, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” – Psalm 38:21-22.
Over the past year, I repeated this scripture a lot! What I love about this scripture is that God always answers. You can talk to God at any time, any place, in any circumstance, and He will answer. He brings the gift of light, peace, and hope.
God has taught me so many things. He taught me to rely on Him, exercise patience, stay focused in my present moments, and to live in the light. Start your day in prayer, trust in God’s will, commit your plans to Him, and practice mindful faith in Christ throughout your day. God reminds us that we have nothing to fear because of His great love! He created us to be in relationship with him. We are supposed to love him and love others. And we can do that by walking in His light.
How do we live in the light when things seem dark?
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11
Spending time with God is a necessity. When I truly began to follow and know Christ, I began to see that there is no other way. I do not know how people can survive this world without Christ in their lives.
Looking back before my relationship with God, I now see how faithful and protective the Lord was over me even when I did not include Him in my life. Mentally I knew He was there, but I did not have that emotional or spiritual relationship with Him. There were so many times that things could have been so much worse, but God continued to patiently wait for my return to Him. And while doing so, He remained faithful to me and shined His light in my dark times.
It is natural for us to want to be in control and try to solve problems as quickly as we can. Our minds go into battle mode – fight or flight. It is our natural defense mechanism. However, when we focus on only our problems, we become overwhelmed by our circumstances, and we lose sight of our purpose.
Walking in the darkness reveals unbelief and walking in the light is living by faith. If we first direct our focus on the Lord and go to Him with our problems, then we can follow the path God has set before us and walk in the light through trusting Him even when things seem dark.
Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
Each day is a new opportunity to grow in the likeness of Christ and walk in the light. When we spend time with God, He changes our hearts to mirror his own, shines a light on our troubles, and sets our paths straight.
A new day brings new hope! Do not be discouraged. Anyone who hopes in Jesus can relinquish control and fear and dwell in the steadfast love and light of the Lord always.
Have you received the light of Christ by confessing your need for a Savior and trusting in Him? Are you walking in that light? If so, you have the privilege and responsibility of being a light to others for God! “You are the light of the world…” (Matthew 5:14) Go and shine bright!
