Gò0dNews for Everyone
A New Start
2
by Brian Johnson
022. A new year and a new start. The new year always brings a time of reflection and evaluation. We think about our regrets, the things we want to
change, and the new person we want to be. The great thing about our relationship with God is that we can make those changes anytime. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” What I love about that verse is God knows we’re going to mess up. Even a just person is going to fall. “He remembereth that we are dust,” (Psalms 103:14). The problem isn’t the falling; the problem is when we stay down. I’m a big sports fan. My favorites are football and baseball. In football, there’s a position called defensive back. These players usually defend receivers one on one or, if you’re sports challenged, they try to stop other players from catching the ball when the quarterback throws it to them. Sometimes defensive backs will give up a big play. It’s part of playing that position. It’s going to happen from
sin among you, let him first cast a stone of her” (John 8:7).
time to time but if they dwell on the mistake, it will affect
After all of the men dropped their stones, Jesus told her to
the next play.
“go, and sin no more.”
When we mess up as Christians and stay down, it
David committed murder and adultery and he was
prevents God from being able to use us as affectively in the
called a man after God’s own heart. He’s also mentioned in
next situation or for the next person we meet that needs to
Christ’s genealogy in Matthew and Luke.
hear the Gospel. Don’t listen to the lies of Satan: you’re not good enough,
Paul, when he was Saul, persecuted and jailed Christians. He presided over the stoning of Stephen, and
God won’t forgive you, you could never come back from
God made him the apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote a
what you’ve done. Remember what Jesus said about the
large portion of the New Testament and took the Gospel to
Devil, “…there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
Europe. There are many examples!
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
There’s nothing wrong with evaluations and resolutions. Just know, as long as you’re still breathing, God can, will,
Listen to the truth of God: you’re forgiven, you’re loved, if
and wants to use you, no matter what you’ve done. Get up,
you’re saved, you’re still His child and, according to Titus 1:2,
move forward. God’s not taking you out of the game. Don’t
God cannot lie.
take yourself out.
caught in the act of adultery. There were several men standing ready to stone her. Jesus said, “He that is without
40 // January 2022
About The Author
There’s a well-known story about a woman that was
Brian Edward Johnson is a deacon at his church and a nurse by vocation. He wants to do the best he can to teach people to trust God, for their eternity and for each day.
