In celebration of the birth of a brand-new day and a brand-new year 2022, snowflakes fell from the sky like bright confetti, each one a miraculous reminder of God's love and faithfulness.

The footprints of yesterday's sins vanished underneath the freshly laid covering. Closing my eyes, I recalled the beautiful Scripture verse, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18 KJV)

God had kept His promise on the day when I surrendered my heart and asked Him to wash away my sins. Like so many people, I had been spiritually blinded and conformed to the ways of the world. The more that I tried to break my bad habits, the worse that they became! I was a lost ship without a compass, forever searching for a glimmer of light.

One of the most sobering verses in the Bible is this one:

1 John 4:3 – Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (NIV)

In my brokenness, I finally realized that the only way to receive salvation is through the saving grace of God. Only Christ can offer the gift of everlasting life! As God empowers us, we begin to see the needs of others. As God's Spirit breathes new life into our hearts and souls, we will learn to love even our enemies with Christlike love.

My friend, are you longing to start a new day and be free of your old self? Then, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37 NIV) For God loves you, no matter who you are or what your past has been, or how many resolutions you have broken. "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." (C. S. Lewis)

Pray with me:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to You confessing that I am a sinner. I want to change and ask You to cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. I believe that Your Son Jesus died on the cross to take away my sins. I believe that He rose again so that I might be forgiven and leave my old self behind. Through faith in Jesus, I call on Him as my Saviour, and on Your Holy Spirit to give me the power to live a new life as a child of Yours. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)