You Can Begin Again

YOU CAN

BEGIN AGAIN

AUTHOR: SITHANDWEYINKOSI S SIVELA

In whatever life’s valley you may find yourself in today; or however deep of a pit you feel trapped in today, this is your sign that YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN.

TO THE ONE ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON THEIR DREAMS

Yes, your investments have not yielded the return you anticipated. You have worked night and day and have given it your all and feel like it is not working. Before you quit, reflect on Peter in the bible, who was a professional fisherman, for which fishing was his source of income, this one time, he went fishing all night long but caught nothing. As he was about to quit, Jesus came to him and said “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter’s response was “ Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless , at Your word I will let down the net.’

The story continues to say that when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. Today, you may be in Peter’s shoes, you have toiled all night in your career, in that idea that you felt deposited in your heart; or in your relationship, or health; and you have caught nothing! Yet, Jesus is standing right next to you saying “Launch out into the deep and let your nets down for a catch” Like Peter, take him at his word, and say “at your word, I will...” Maybe you have been trying it on your own; this time, begin again, launch into the deep, but with God’s help, at his word, launch into the deep; because operating at his word will cause the fish to obey his word into your net. The great catch of fish may represent the yield you are believing for, but the approach is the same.

Right now, approach God with all your heart, and tell him that you have toiled all night, but at his word you will move again. You need his word that has authority, to move again. For some, you have tried it in your strength and have failed, but God wants to partner with you today. Remember, his word says that all the days ordained for you were written in his books before one of them came to be. Like a shepherd, God wants to lead you to green pastures, however, it is up to you to follow his leading.

Prayer: Heavenly Father. I come to you today, presenting my life into your hands. Forgive me for where I have tried to govern my own life.

Lord, your word says that you know the plans you have for me, and you knew me before I was formed in my mother’s womb. I am ready to begin again, this time, under your authority, guidance and wisdom. I know that when I walk with you, the work of my hands will be blessed and my path will shine brighter and brighter. Your word says that you order the steps of your righteous. Father, may you order my steps today, like you did with Peter, give me a word that will change my life today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

TO THE ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED LOSS

Life, like you have always known it to be, may never be the same. You may never be the same after the experience of the loss; the betrayal; but this loss was and is not your end.

Yes, you are right, there are not enough words to describe the emotions you are experiencing and have experienced. You may not even be in a space to feel, you would prefer to be numb and asleep, you just cannot face the pain it brings.

All your feelings, confusion, hurt, disbelief, shock; are valid, and so is the truth that as much as it may not feel like it today, and in this very moment; you will rise again.

Like the stars, you will shine through the darkness, and someday be the light to those going through darkness. In this moment, do not disqualify your life, your brighter days are still ahead of you, and someone’s brighter days are dependent on you pressing on to your brighter days.

PRAYER Lord, here are my broken pieces; here is what’s left of my heart and life. I cannot make it on my own. Restore me Lord. I know you give beauty for ashes and I trust you to get me out of this dry pit. Thank you for saving me and for giving me another chance to life.

TO THE ONE WHO FEELS CONDEMNED

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

- John 8:10-11 That is a conversation Jesus had with the adulterous woman. This is not to say that Jesus justified what she did and does not mind when we sin and make wrong choices.

He cares, it hurts him, yet; he so wants us to change and walk on the right path. That is why he came on earth to die for us, and take on the punishment of our own wrongs, so we could have hope for a life of purpose.

Jesus knows that we live in a fleshly body and sometimes may miss the mark. And in his mercy and grace his arms are always open to embrace us and get us up when we fall.

Again, his grace does not mean that we intentionally make the wrong choices with the idea that grace will cover us, because God also says that we should be holy as he is holy and not use the freedom we have been given to intentionally sin.

A wise man once said that we all have feet of clay in our lives. We wake up determined to walk on the right path and before we know it, we miss the mark. But when we have missed the mark, we should not run away from God, we should run to him.

The bible says that he is the good shepherd and we are his sheep. When we are lost, the good shepherd even goes to the extent of leaving all the other sheep he has, to look for the one lost sheep.

It does not matter how far gone you feel you are. Or how dirty and filthy you feel and think you are. The good shepherd is on the run, day and night, looking and searching. Are you in a dark pit of drug addiction? Are you in a prison cell? What pit are you in? Right there, the shepherd is looking, he wants you to call out, he is not running away from you, he is running towards you. Your stains, your dirt, your filth, do not shock or overwhelm him, you are his sheep, his child, he wants to pick you up and clean you.

He needs you to open your heart and let him in, and allow him to come down into that pit with you and help you out of it. Do not talk yourself out of this grace. Those thoughts that say that God will not want anything to do with you after all you have done are not your thoughts. Those are the devil’s words that he is presenting to you as your own thoughts. Do not listen to those thoughts. The devil wants you to believe that God wants nothing to do with you, yet in-fact he knows and believes that God wants to heal you, redeem you, but will try to make you feel too dirty for God.

The love and mercy of God towards a sinner in need of redemption and another chance, looks like clothes that have been soiled, really dirty clothes and the only way they can be clean is when they are washed. When clothes are dirty, we wash them, and in the event that maybe we soiled them with mud on that rainy day, our default thought process is to wash the clothes. Even those, with that stain that needs a different wash, we pay extra attention to them. We never look at the clothes and say “this one is not worthy of the washing machine” The same is with God, when, like the clothes, have gotten dirty, you need to open your heart and get into the washing machine, and allow the washing machine to give you a clean look.

God wants to wash you clean and give you another chance to life. In the parable of the prodigal son, told by Jesus; after the son had messed up, disappointed the father and lost everything, the father still ran to meet him; and commanded that his son was cleaned up and given a new coat and a ring, and there was a great celebration for the return of the son. The father is also looking forward to welcoming you, cleaning you up and restoring you. He makes all things new and when you come to him, he will also wipe that past away, and give you a new beginning.

Whether you have known the father before, then lost the mark, like the prodigal son, God is not here to condemn you or recite how you have messed up, or disappointed him. He is not mad at you, he is happy you are home.

Or whether you have never had that relationship with the father before, he wants to adopt you and make you his very own.

There is never a pit we find ourselves in that God’s love is not deeper still. Come to the father, with you all your heart, say this prayer:

PRAYER Heavenly father, I come to you today. I am a sinner, in need of your grace and mercy. I have been lost, I have made wrong decisions and bad life choices. I have heard of your love, your mercy and your grace and that even in my state right now, I should not run away from you but run to you. I come to you father, as I am, please wash me, cleanse me, purify me, heal me, deliver me, save me, redeem me. Lord Jesus, I thank you that you died for me, wash me in your precious blood, save my soul. Shepherd me as your sheep. I give you my life from hereon. Thank you for putting an end to my past and giving me a new life. In Jesus name.

TO THE ONE WHO FEELS LIKE ENDING THEIR LIFE

Imagine being given an opportunity to read through your life story as it was beautifully meant to be; and getting to the pages of your life story long after the moment you are in right now. You see those dreams you had, as big and impossible as they seemed back then, all come to pass, even better orchestrated than you imagined. Go back to all those beautiful dreams you had, close your eyes and see them manifested- see that powerful individual you have become; how refined your talent has become and the many lives that have been impacted by your work, the many people who come to thank you for answering your call to be who you were created to be.

Imagine the healed you. The fully sober you.

The whole you, inspiring lives. It is an imagination now, it is a dream today; but it is your beautiful reality tomorrow. Undeniably, today’s pain is as real as it can be. The future seemingly seems dark, as the dark days you have been going through. The truth however, is that the time you feel done and tired, is when you are the closest to your light and need to press on one more time. You may be in the deep of consequences of a very bad mistake and feel like this is the end. This is not your end, it is the end of one season and the beginning of another season. Your story is not done, you need to flip to another page.

The bible says that our father in heaven makes all things work together for good.

Even the worst scenario that the devil thought was his best, even that, God takes and turns it around to still work together for your good. That mistake is not your end. Yes it was the wrong move, your life may not be the same hereon, and “people may talk”, your loved ones may be disappointed. YET, the God of new beginnings and the one who makes all things work together for good wants to reach down to where you are and partner with you in cleaning you up and continue to write this story beautifully.

Remember, he has great plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. And he knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb, and wrote all your days in his book.

In your hurt, you may be asking yourself where he was in your pain. We live in a broken world and at times, even people, in their human error make bad choices that may hurt us, or the enemy, will continuously throw his arrows of attack and pain, and God, in his love, becomes our very present help in times of trouble.

Maybe, in your anger, despair, or shame, you were determined to end it - and may be looking for a sign to not end it, this is your sign; BRIGHTER DAYS ARE AHEAD OF YOU. There is a promise for you that your latter days will be greater than your former days.

And the Lord will wipe away your tears, and turn your mourning into dancing.

There is hope for you. You may not be able to go back in time and change your history, but you still have the opportunity to beautifully write your future, and Jesus wants to help you.

He understands your hurt, your anger, your shame, your burden and wants to take all of that away and give you peace, hope, joy, love, laughter. YOU STILL HAVE A GREAT LIFE TO LIVE. You may not know how and where you will start, do not worry, the Lord will guide you, he will lead you and order your every step and lighten your path. This is a new beginning for you! Now, let’s go ahead and invite him in your heart and life.

The bible says that the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus has come to give life and life in abundance. It is a lie from the enemy that life is not worth living, he lies through the whispers in your thoughts so he can steal that bright future ahead of you. He knows that God wants to restore you and give you a bright future. You belong to God, and he wants to give you the bright future he had for you from the time he created you. Your life is not a write-off. Moreover, God can restore the time you lost and still make your life even more beautiful. Embrace this truth and get up.

PRAYER Lord Jesus, I have felt like my life has no meaning and felt better off not alive. Now I know that is not true, it is a lie from the enemy, because you want me to live and have great plans for me, to prosper me and not to harm me. Lord, please forgive me all my wrongs.

Come into my heart and cleanse it from all hurt, pain, anger, shame. Where I have messed up, please forgive me, cleanse me and help me get up again. Help me navigate this life in your light and wisdom. For the people I may have hurt in my dark days, please help them forgive me and heal them Lord, even as you heal me, and give me a fresh new start. Wash me, heal me, restore, deliver me from all bondage, all chains, and help me to be the version of me that you envision me to be. I want to live that beautiful future you have for me Lord. I surrender my life fully into your hands. In Jesus name.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2nd Corinthians 5:17

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.- Joel 2:25a

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.- Romans 8:1

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW BEGINNING. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!