“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” ~ Psalm 19:14

There are moments in life which give us the feeling of newness; a chance to wipe the slate clean and make a new name for ourselves. We feel this way on January 1 – “it’s a new year, it’s a new me!” we declare. Maybe you feel this way with the new school year, or after you get a new haircut, or after you begin a new diet or workout plan, or after any change in your life. After a quick google search, it is apparent that the most successful new lifestyles happen not after a physical change but a mental change. It is the person who changes their mindset about what they will eat, how they will study, what they will wear that is most successful. The change has to come from the inside before it will ultimately succeed on the outside.

We see a similar declaration in Psalm 19. The first few verses of Psalm 19 are fairly well known as they express how the glory of God can be seen in that which He created. This is something we can easily agree with; it is not uncommon to go outside and see a sunset or an alligator or a flower and be moved to praise. The psalmist moves on from creation declaring the glory of God to God’s Word, the Bible, declaring God’s glory. This is sometimes more difficult for us as there are passages which we do not always enjoy reading (though there is something glorious about seeing God’s faithfulness in genealogies …); but most of us have probably had a moment where we read a passage of Scripture which has spoken the truth we needed to hear and felt our hearts soar.

The psalmist waxes eloquently about how both creation and Scripture teach us about God. After contemplating both of these things, he is moved to confess his sinfulness and pray that he would live in a manner which is pleasing to God. The psalmist does not say “may the words of my mouth and the actions of my hands…” but rather prays that his heart, often used poetically as the seat of emotions, desires, and passions, would be pleasing to God. The psalmist does not pray that only his external actions would be pleasing to God, but that his motivation behind those actions would be pleasing to Him. He does not want a fleeting external change, but a permanent internal change.
What a powerful prayer!

How would your life look if you started each morning praying that your words and thoughts would be pleasing to God? Would your attitude at work be different? Would you be more patient with people? Would you have more moments of joy? Our prayer for you as you begin this “fresh start” of the new school year or as you begin a fresh new week or a fresh new day is that you would begin with God, that you would begin with Jesus. That you would surrender not just your actions, but your words and your thoughts to them; allowing His Spirit to work in you as you become more and more like Christ. That as you behold His glory in creation and in Scripture, that you would long to draw near to Him more and more, that whatever sin you struggle with would appear less and less satisfying, that whatever burden you are struggling with would be placed at His feet, and that you would feel the love He has for you.

Written by Pastor Philip VanderWindt
Alamosa Christian Reformed

Jesus can and will give you a fresh new start.. If you’re not satisfied with life as it is now or if you want a change, or just need something fricking different, Jesus is willing and able to turn the tables of your circumstances as you follow Him.  Jesus has a way to, a way thru, a way across, and solutions that you’ve never thought of and solutions that you were never made aware of that will help you experience a fresh new start. A fresh new start is not only possible, it is available to you right now, in this instance of time, if you want in on the fresh new start that Jesus can and will give you, repeat this prayer, Dear Jesus, I am a sinner, in need of your saving grace, your saving power and in need of your divine guidance, I cannot save myself, I cannot figure out my circumstances, I need you Jesus, I invite you dear Jesus to come in my life and become the Lord of my life, become my personal Savior, grant me a fresh new start, create in me a clean heart, renew in me a right spirit o’ Jesus, gently lead me in the ways of God that will bring me joy, happiness, abundance and every good thing that God has for me, I do want a fresh new start Jesus, and I want it right now, if you’d be so kind Dear Jesus, please grant me my requests, it is in your name, I ask and pray, Amen! -Evangelist Wendy Evans http://wendyevans.org/