Hooray for another new month! If you are a parent, a teacher, or in school yourself, then you know that May is a BIG month! So much activity and change happen in the month of May at the end of the school year, especially if you are preparing to graduate! I know that no matter what month we are in I always find myself getting caught up in any and every type of busyness. I want to encourage you to continue Speaking and Praying scripture! If you have created a speaking and praying routine, keep going! You won’t regret it! If you haven’t started yet, now is a great time to get started! God’s Word is so powerful and always has a purpose.
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Last month we intentionally chose verses that targeted negative behavior and were working to replace it with Christ-honoring behavior. We did this with Colossians 3:12 Therefore as God’s chosen ones, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. If I had thought about it, I would have attached the following verse to last month’s scriptures to help provide more context for our kiddos about why our behavior needs to change and how it can change, Christ’s work in us. While we talked about it, this verse says it clearly.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.
This verse is significant for several reasons. First, we all have access to becoming a new creation. Why? There is nothing we can do to earn salvation; we only receive it by grace through faith. We spoke this verse last month!
Ephesians 2:8 We are saved by grace through faith,
and this is not from ourselves, it is God’s gift.
Second, creating something new out of something old requires it to look very different. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, then we, as God’s creation, take on a new appearance or way of life. Some of these things happen very quickly but other changes can happen very slowly or take a lifetime. We will never outgrow needing Jesus and his work in our life to make us more like him. The fancy word for this process is called sanctification.
Our next verse this month is a small cluster of verses. It may feel intimidating, but truly the rhythm of the passage becomes very memorable once you start speaking it!
Psalm 103:1-5
1Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Isn’t this passage so beautiful? It is one of my favorites. The notes in my ESV Study Bible told me that Psalm 103 is a “hymn of praise”, and I can tell, and I love it! This hymn of praise is a remembrance of how God sustained the Israelites in the wilderness with his steadfast love and was intended for community worship. The recollection of benefits as a child of God in verses three through five serve to increase admiration for God’s steadfast love in how he cares for us. God’s steadfast love and care did not stop with the Israelites, God loves and cares for you, too. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior then please head over to my Resurrection Hope page to learn how you can be a new creation, too. In Him, we are Not Alone! P.S. I’m cheering for you!
May
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold the new has come.
Psalm 103:1-5
1Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Prayer:
God, You are a good, good Father who loves us so much. Thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus, that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, then we will be saved.
Thank you, God, that through salvation in you, the old me has passed away and the new me has come. My old sin patterns, my old attitudes, my old way of living no longer define me, I am a new creation. Help me live a life pleasing to you.
And Lord, we bless your holy name! You alone are a God that forgives sin, heals diseases, redeems our broken lives, satisfies us with good, and renews our endurance in our faith. You are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor and we love you. Amen.
NOT ALONE MINISTRIES 