Make a fresh start

God, make a fresh start in me, 
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash, 
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile, 
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways 
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God, 
I'll let loose with your praise.
Psalm 51:10-15 The Message

Sometimes the school mornings in our home can be a little hectic with four children getting ready for school and various household jobs needing to done. Voices get raised and it can turn a little 'pear-shaped'. When we finally make it into the car, and especially when I have been one of the worst raised voice offenders, I often say to the children, shall we pretend to start the day again now. Followed by kindly saying something like, 'Good morning everyone, what a great day we are going to have today!'  The day, from an emotional sense, literally does begin again. We make a fresh start.

How wonderful is it that our God can help us to make a fresh start in every aspect of our lives. A fresh start that enables us to get to a place where we can be a witness for Him, a voice for Him. All we have to do is come to Him with a humble, willing heart, ready to submit and let Him breathe holiness into us. Humility is a key to opening the door of our heart and letting God's grace come flooding in. James 4:6 says

But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).

It by God's grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can overcome the 'trash' in our lives and get to the place of 'unbuttoning our lips and letting loose with praise'. Our lives become so transformed that we cannot help but praise Jesus for all He has done and all He will do. People around us will watch and see the transforming power of Jesus working in us. 

Question for today, is there some area in your life in which you need to make a fresh start? Why not take the opportunity now to pray that scripture, Psalm 51:10-15, asking God to make a fresh start in you, to help you get to the place where you can let loose with your praise?