Welcome to my randomized study & miscellaneous thoughts about the Awesome God of the universe, who He is and what He wants us to be.

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Verse of the Day

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Today's Quote

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God of the New Beginning…not Jehovah-Do Over


Our 5 year old son, Zachary Robert, began Kindergarten yesterday morning at Phoenix Christian School. This is not only the beginning of a new and exciting adventure for him but also for his mom and me! In honor of this momentous occasion, I write...

How many times have we heard it said that God is a “God of second-chances?” I'm sure that some folks are blessed by that thought, but I can't really say that like the way that sounds. I guess it’s just a matter of semantics anyway, but I prefer to state it thusly, “Ours is a God of New Beginnings, a Fresh Start.”


New Beginnings When We Succumb To Pride
The first example is from the life of Joseph. (See Genesis 37:1 – 47:31)

Genesis 37:2-8
2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. 5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had; 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 Then his brothers said to him, "Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

So, the pride demonstrated by Joseph led to hatred by his brothers which led to…

Genesis 37:23-24, 28
23 So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

This is Joseph’s New Beginning. Read on in Genesis to see additional new beginnings that God favors Joseph with until God ultimately allows a new beginning for Joseph’s brothers through Joseph!

Genesis 45:7-8
7 "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

New Beginnings When We Fall Due To Lust
King David’s life appears to be a continuous saga of trials, tribulations and victories. But we also see an example of a fallen sinner who, when confronted by his own sin, repents, turns back to God and although God punishes David by the death of his first son, is offered a new beginning with the birth of his second son, Solomon. (See 2 Samuel)

2 Samuel 11:3-5
3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant."

2 Samuel 12:13-14, 19
13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."

19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

2 Samuel 12:24
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him.

New Beginnings When We Admit Our Ignorance
In his own words, read about Saul/Paul’s new beginning,

Acts 22:1-21
1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you." 2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. 4 "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. 6 "But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' 8 "And I answered, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' 9 "And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 "And I said, "What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, "Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.' 11 "But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. 12 "A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near said to me, "Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him. 14 "And he said, "The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15 “For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 "Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.' 17 "It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, "Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' 19 "And I said, "Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 "And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.' 21 "And He said to me, "Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

New Beginnings to Glorify Himself
Sometimes, God just allows us to experience new beginnings as a means to glorify Himself. (See the book of Job)

Job 1:1-3, 9-11
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. 2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 "But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."

God then allowed Satan to take away all of Job’s possessions, kill his children and torment Job with great physical ailments.

Job 1:20-22
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD."
22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

No, Job did not sin toward God, instead he sought after God even more passionately.

Job 23:3, 8-13
3 "Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat

8 "Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
9 When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
10 "But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 "My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 "I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

And after remaining steadfast and true to God, even defending God to his own friends, Job is rewarded with a new beginning,

Job 42:10-17
10 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. 11 Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job's daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.

New Beginnings When We Accept Him as Lord and Savior!
Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

2 Corinthians 5:14-17
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Though we may stumble and though we may fall,
Our God has patience and love for us all.
He wants us to draw near, His Son for He gave,
Who died on the cross but arose from the grave!
So this is the time, there's never any better,
Open that Bible and read every letter.
Begin a God-dialogue (we call it prayer),
Ask Him to meet you - go on now, I dare!
Open your heart, He'll lead not astray
A New Beginning in Christ may you have today.


May today be a New Beginning in your relationship with Him,
Dr. Larry

scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 10:29 AM