As this New Year has begun, I can truly say I am not anticipating it; at all. I am, however, hoping for a renewed year. A year of rekindled desires, relit flames and a spark of passion for those things I once had a passion for.
My hope is that a passion you may have laid aside in 2011 will catch fire in 2012.
The Bible is often seen as a book of firsts. However, I see the Bible as reflective of my background and environment… for me, the Bible is a testament of second chances.
The Bible is not about saving, but about redemption. God isn’t about giving, he is about restoring. Jesus isn’t about friendship, he is about reconciling.
The Bible for me is about second chances. Coinciding with that, this year is going to be about second chances, second glances and second standings; things in my life that may be asleep or dead will rise this year.
When Jesus came into Galilee for the second occasion (the first being turning water into wine), he came affirming this prophetic message to each one of us. He was approached by a troubled father whose son had passed away. Jesus said, “Go thy way; thy son liveth.”
I love the way the chapter ends. John reminds us that this miracle happened the second time he came into this city.
Abraham’s first word from God was to sacrifice his son. The second word from God was for his son to live.
The Bible says it this way in Gen 22:15-
“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.”
We always associate life with the third day, but I believe the Bible has a message for us all; we need a second chance at something.
This year we can declare… No more dead dreams, No more waiting, No more compromise. Let those dead dreams live, let those ambitions live!
This year, 2012, will be a year of life and life to the full.
-Scripture reference John 4:50
Manna and Coffee 