God Wants to Do a New Thing in You - Crosswalk the Devotional - May 1

God Wants to Do a New Thing in You
by Emma Danzey

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

God Uses Nature as a Visual of All Things New
Spring is blooming and the birds are tweeting their songs yet again. The vibrant colored azaleas and tulips begin to reappear. Trees that were once leafless and empty now start to blossom pink, white, and purple. The truth is that God wants to do a new thing in you. He wants to do a new thing within all of us. Just like nature around us is fully dependent on God to change and grow, we are too. As we admire the warmth of the sunlight and the gentle breeze, may what we see in nature be embraced in our own hearts.

When we see these visible changes and transformations within nature, we know that every moment of every day, something is happening. The more seasons we have been through, the more common they can become, so we have to be intentional to watch what the Lord is doing and to worship Him in the midst of it. The same is true spiritually speaking. As we seek God, the Holy Spirit is doing a work within us that we may not always recognize, however over time, our thoughts and actions will show the fruit of our hearts.

Anyone in Christ Is a New Creation
As we look at the work of Jesus, He brings death to life, He completes the old covenant and fulfills the new covenant, and He takes things that are broken and makes them whole. As we examine our own lives, how is Jesus continually sanctifying and making us new in Him each day? Are you being more patient with your spouse? Have you been quicker to listen and slower to speak lately? Are you being more aware of dressing modestly? Are your words of negativity fading under the sound of encouragement?

Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

We cannot produce anything eternally good from our lives apart from the work of Christ. Jesus is the Way (John 14:6), Jesus is the Living Water (John 7:37-39) It is because of Him that anyone can become a new creation.

Perhaps you feel disqualified from experiencing real authentic change? Maybe you worry that your sins are too awful or disgusting to be accepted into the holy family of God? Hold onto hope because Jesus used the apostle Paul to write this exact verse in 2 Corinthians. Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a murderer of Christians until Jesus met him and transformed his life.

Recently I had the joy of hearing a testimony from a man who was incarcerated seventeen times before the age of seventeen. He ended up going to prison and while he was there a ministry met him and shared the gospel. He gave his life to Christ and he turned his life around. When he got out of prison, he went to college, got a degree, got married, his wife and him had two children, two sweet daughters, and now he is the leader of that prison ministry. This man has been made new in Jesus. If the Lord can transform a life as broken and seemingly hopeless as his, or for that matter, the Apostle Paul, then He can do the same for you. Anyone means anyone.

The Old Has Gone and the New Has Come
When we spend time with Jesus reading His Word, praying, worshiping, listening, reflecting, witnessing, and gathering with other believers, we are being refined into His image. At the moment of salvation, we are forgiven and made new. However, on the journey of life, we go through our own “spiritual seasons” where our Father is shaping and molding us into who He desires for us to be. We can trust in Him and surrender to His love as we become like Jesus by releasing areas of sin in our lives.

This all points us towards the future when the old heaven and earth will pass away and the Lord will make everything new again. Revelation 21:5 says, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Today, ask the Lord to show you how He is working on your heart and making you new in Him. Remember that we may not notice change overnight, but over time, we will begin to see the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives.

Further Reading:

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.