New Supplies, New Ideas And New Focus

Yes, I was the girl who looked forward to shopping for school supplies. The minute I knew those special aisles at the front of the store were filled with everything new and beautiful and fresh, I was there. 

And yes, I'm the woman who does the same thing 40 years later.

My brain is wired in such a way that it lights up at the smell of new crayons, the feel of a brand-new notebook and the sound of a pencil bag zipping up. And don't get me started about new planners. I've already finished this year's and started next year's. I know it's geeky, but it makes me inexplicably happy.

There's something about holding those new, full-of-potential supplies that just speaks to me. This may sound silly, but even though I know they'll be old and used (lovingly and creatively, though) not too far in the distant future, I want to bottle this moment of new excitement and happiness.

Did you know that God feels the same way about new things?

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Yesterday's mercies are in the past, tomorrow's mercies aren't here yet, but we are promised new mercies this morning, right now, as sure as the sun will rise. God is always here in the present moment, not dwelling on past and future, He knows that we need something new and fresh, something that we didn't have yesterday because we wouldn't need it until today. That's how important new is.

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Psalm 96:1

Even our old songs have to be replaced with something new. We have new reasons to praise God, thank Him and share our testimony put to music. The songs we've been singing up until now have been great - they're the songs of our heart - but we've moved past them into new and uncharted territory. That requires a whole new song!

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

We also know that salvation gives us a new spirit, a new man, a new conversation for how we live our lives. God's not going to let us walk around in the old man when He's created newness just for us. New ideas and new focus are ours for the taking, and the Lord expects us to take them and run with them. Let's not lose our excitement over the newness, but rejoice in the freshness that's new every day.

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