This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of the Series “Fresh Start” – I Have New Possibilities! (WATCH HERE)
If you are like me this morning I am thinking, “Where did January go? I can’t believe it is February already.”
Each new month is perhaps both the reminder that God continues to allow time to continue and also a time to recalibrate and have a fresh start.
Rhythms in our life create seasons of start and finish, work and rest. In fact, God set up his world with these seasons to provide both order to our lives and times to rest and reset.
So, take today to reset with the Lord. The month ahead of you, February, has many opportunities to be reminded of the fresh start the Lord gives you. Here are a few that come to mind for me:
- February is a month to trim our fruit trees and get them ready for spring.
John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.
Pruning is still an odd activity for me. It seems like the more branches, the more fruit. However, the less one prunes, the less fruitful a tree becomes. Why? Because energy the tree needs for fruit production goes into sustaining all the branches. Too many branches block the sunlight the fruit needs to mature and leads them to not form properly. The tree actually has greater potential when it is pruned properly.
What in your life is February an opportunity to prune? Are there activities that are filling your schedule but wearing out your soul? Is there clutter in your home that causes anxiety and stress and is time to clean out? Maybe February is a month for the Lord to prune things in your life to make you more productive and open new possibilities for him.
2. February is a month to celebrate the love of your life.
Already the stores are filled with pink and red boxes of chocolate, cards, stuffed animals and trinkets for you to buy to celebrate your Valentine. While I still think it’s a “Hallmark Holiday” for marketing purposes, it nonetheless is an important opportunity to show your love to the person/people God has given to you. Love is not just a human emotion, it is an expression of sacrifice and service that another gives for the blessing of the recipient. In expressing your Valentine love this year, it’s a reminder that a special someone is one God has put in your life and through whom God has given you new possibilities of growth, learning, and ways to love.
1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
3. February is a month for repentance and restoration.
Ash Wednesday is February 14. The day we mark Valentine’s Day is the day we mark the beginning of our Lenten journey to be reminded of a) our deep need for a Savior and b) the great love our Savior has shown by taking our sins on himself and paying their price on the cross. Repentance is a whole-hearted turning from our sin to the forgiveness and power to live our Savior gives. This journey in the season of Lent is a great reminder of the fresh start we have because of the forgiveness Jesus gives.
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Enjoy the new month and the fresh start it gives. May the Lord open your heart and mind to the new possibilities he is putting in front of you!
Apply: What opportunities for a fresh start does February bring for you?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for using the days, months and seasons of my life to remind me of your constant love, your enduring promises, and your wonderful grace. Lead me in this month of February to grow in my walk with you, to see the possibilities you present and confidently engage in them. AMEN.