Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing
NEW BEGINNINGS:
A NEW YEAR DEVOTIONAL SERIES
A Journey into God’s Renewing Grace
Day 1
Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing
Scripture:
Isaiah 43:18–19
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 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.”
How God Makes All Things New
1. God Begins With the Heart
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…” (Ezekiel 36:26)
God’s renewal always starts internally. He replaces hearts of stone—hardened by pain, sin, fear, or disappointment—with hearts that are soft, teachable, and responsive to Him.
True change is never cosmetic; it is transformational.
Renewal happens when we surrender control and allow the Holy Spirit to reshape our desires, motives, and affections.
2. God Renews Through Christ
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
In Christ, God does not merely improve us—He recreates us.
Our past no longer defines our future.
Our failures no longer hold final authority.
Jesus’ resurrection power brings new identity, purpose, and direction.
Newness is not something we achieve; it is something we receive through relationship with Christ.
3. God Uses Process, Not Instant Perfection
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)
God’s renewal is often progressive, not immediate. He works through seasons, pruning, waiting, and growth. What feels like delay is often development.
God values depth over speed and character over comfort.
4. God Renews Through Suffering and Refining
“He makes all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28)
God does not waste pain. He redeems it.
Trials become tools for refinement, perspective, and dependence on Him.
Many of the “new things” God brings are born in seasons of loss, uncertainty, or transition.
God transforms what was meant to break us into what shapes us.
5. God Is Ultimately Renewing All Creation
“Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
God’s plan is cosmic and eternal.
One day, every broken system, relationship, and injustice will be restored.
What He is doing in us now is a preview of what He will complete forever.
Our hope is anchored not just in today’s renewal, but in God’s final restoration.
How We Align Ourselves With What God Is Doing
- Surrender Daily
Alignment begins with yielding.
“Not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
- Ask daily:
God, what are You doing in me?
What do You want to remove, refine, or renew?
- Renew Your Mind
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
God often changes our thinking before He changes our circumstances.
Aligning with Him requires rejecting old lies and replacing them with truth from His Word.
What we believe shapes how we live.
- Stay Spiritually Sensitive
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
Alignment requires attentiveness—listening in prayer, obeying promptings, and responding quickly when God speaks.
Delayed obedience often leads to missed renewal.
- Let Go of What God Is Replacing
Sometimes God cannot give us the new because we are clinging to the old—old habits, identities, relationships, or fears.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18–19)
Trust that what God is building is better than what He is removing.
- Walk in Faith, Not Familiarity
God’s “new” often feels uncomfortable because it stretches us beyond what is known.
Alignment means trusting God even when clarity comes step by step rather than all at once.
Closing Reflection:
God’s renewal is not just about change—it is about restoration to His original design. As we surrender, listen, obey, and trust, we discover that the “new thing” God is doing is not just around us—it is within us.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” (Philippians 1
God’s invitation to “forget the former things” is not an erasing of memory but a releasing of authority.
Devotional Practice:
Spend time identifying what from the past still influences how you see yourself or God.
Name it honestly before the Lord and release it.
Guided Journaling:
What past experience still shapes my expectations?
What would it look like to trust God with something entirely new?
Prayer:
Lord, I release what no longer belongs in this season. Help me see what You are doing now and step forward in faith. Amen.
Quote:
You cannot step into God’s future while clinging to yesterday.
