“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4 (ESV)
The Gift of Newness
I love seeing something old and forgotten come to life with a beauty and purpose. My husband has the amazing gift of taking the most unwanted and hideous of items and restoring it into something beautiful and new. He has an eye for lovely. When nobody else sees the underlying beauty, he sees it. He sees past the rubbish formation of the castoff to the beauty and purpose of what it has the potential to be. When he is finished with a project, the transformation always leaves me in awe. He goes beyond mere makeover. Most of the time, he guts the projects, exposing every blemished and warped piece. This allows him to do his work. Usually, he covers or restores flaws. But sometimes, the very thing once seen as flawed is what now makes it the masterpiece it has become.
I can’t help but see the comparison to what God has done. My own life–once deeply flawed, broken, and indiscernible from rubbish–was given to the Master Craftsman. My life received more than a mere makeover, for He was much more attentive to the inward transformation. I experienced a death to my old and wrecked self; I was made new. He took the unsightly and restored, redeemed for a new purpose. He has covered every blemish with grace and mercy, even using some of those blemishes for his glory. God gave this precious gift of newness to me, though I did not deserve it. Friends, this gift is waiting for you, too. He sees you, all of you, and wants to make you new in Him. Trust Him. He restores and redeems faithfully and perfectly.
Prayer Over Our Hearts
Dear Father, thank you for your perfect hand that restores and makes all things new. What a gift it is for your hands of grace to lift me out of the muck of my own fallen existence. You are in the process of making all things new. Thank you for such an undeserved act of love. Thank you for Jesus, for it is through His death and resurrection we can be made new. Amen.
I love this! There are many days I need to remember this beautiful word. He has taken all the dark, ugly parts of me and redeemed. God has restored my heart and soul to His purposes and glory! I pray He uses my darkness for the testament of His unfailing love! I die to sin and live in Him! <3
The fact that we don’t deserve this gift is something I need to constantly remember. Somehow, as selfish as it sounds, it’s so easy to think we’ve been good enough for His love. This was a great reminder!
Praise the Lord that he has covered ever blemish and made it white as snow again. He gives us a new image once we believe and call upon his name, that new image is that of sons and daughters to the throne! Thank you for sharing the beauty of being made new.