Ready for Your New Beginning?

“He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the LORD.” – Psalm 40:3

This time of year it seems like everyone is making a New Year’s resolution of some kind. Losing weight…getting out of debt…rekindling romance in our marriage…spending more time with the Lord or our children—there are many different areas of life where people are seeking a new beginning.

As a new year dawns in 2015, I’m excited about the new strategies God is giving us to make an even greater impact for His Kingdom. Just as the apostle Paul sought to win the Lost “by all possible means” (1 Corinthians 9:22), we are following God’s directives to embark on new initiatives to become more effective “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

Already, we are sending the Good News of Jesus Christ to more than 150 nations through Inspiration TV. And we are increasingly interacting with people around the world through Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media. God is using these powerful tools to win someone to Christ every eight minutes on our evangelistic website, ToFindGod.com!

Thanks to our faithful Inspiration Partners, we are able to bring people the message of Christ right where they are—through their TVs, computers, or smart phones!

Time for a New Beginning

The Bible is filled with stories of people who received a new beginning from God. I love the account of the Samaritan woman who had a life-changing encounter with Jesus while drawing water from a well in the town of Sychar (John 4:1-42).

Later in the story, we learn why this woman needed a turnaround. She had already been married five times, and she now was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Yet despite her sordid past, she was about to meet someone who could turn things around and give her a wonderful new future.

Because of her past choices, this woman was a social outcast. So she came to the well at midday, when it would be so hot that no one else would be there.

But to her surprise, someone was sitting by the well when she arrived. Not a Samaritan, but a Jew. Not a woman, as normally would come to draw water, but a man. And He was already there, as if to await her arrival.

It was Jesus, and He met her right where she was…

• He knew all about this woman’s shame and brokenness, just as He knows about yours and mine.
• He knew she was working to get water that would soon leave her thirsty again.
• He saw behind her self-assured facade and knew she was hungry for spiritual truth.
• He knew she needed the kind of turnaround that only He could provide.

Just as for this Samaritan woman, a new beginning is available to you. It’s time to forget the past and let the Lord fill your heart with a “new song” of praise for His salvation (Psalm 40:3).

One of the intriguing parts of the Samaritan woman’s story is found when she told Jesus, “‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things’” (v. 25).

You see, this woman expected the Messiah to come someday. She could envision a future day when the Messiah would “tell us all things.”

However, she didn’t recognize that her new beginning was at hand. There was no need to wait any longer. The long-awaited Messiah was standing right next to her! To the woman’s amazement, Jesus told her, “I who speak to you am He” (v. 26).

My friend, there’s a vital lesson here. Perhaps you’ve gotten used to thinking that your turnaround would come at some distant time in the future, if it ever came at all. But Jesus the Messiah is not some faraway person. He’s right there with you, just as He was for the Samaritan woman!

Unexpected Impact

The woman from Samaria was transformed by her encounter with Jesus. But the story doesn’t end there. Her transformation caused a ripple effect that impacted many other lives as well: “Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified” (v. 39).

This incredible impact was possible because a woman who had made so many mistakes along the way came face to face with the Messiah. In the same way, God wants to set you free from past frustrations this year, giving you a new life of fulfillment and impact.

Please know that I am praying for you this month, asking God to give you the new beginning you’re longing for. You may not need the kind of forgiveness and restoration Jesus gave the woman at the well. Perhaps you’re seeking a financial breakthrough…healing in your body…restoration of your marriage…reconciliation with your children…deliverance from addiction…or the salvation of your loved ones.

Whatever your needs may be, we’re convinced God wants to give you supernatural breakthroughs this year. Regardless of your struggles in the past, a better day is ahead. As Jesus told one of His disciples, “You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50).

Today, recognize Jesus’ presence with you—wherever you may be in your life. In Him, you are a “new creation,” and “all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

God Bless You,

David Cerullo