One of the most humbling things about life is God’s sovereign and providential ability to completely wreck your plans. I mean when God takes His huge eraser and His red correction pen and not just alters, but completely bulldozes your world. What happens when life doesn’t go as planned (or as I planned)? What happens when you are called to start over and start right back at square one? This has been a reality of mine with recent university transfers and starting a new medical program and, at times, it was very difficult for me to see the new beginning as a fresh starting block for the work of God. One way I find continual encouragement is through the Scriptures and I pray that this one verse would lift up and strengthen you all.
Psalm 34:8 reads, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” I know some of you are thinking, what in the world does this have anything to do with starting over? My point in using this wonderful Psalm is to point you, fellow Christian, to the person of God. Everything that God does is good! Every stage in our lives must be centered on the attributes of God and if we know who He is, we will know how to properly respond. Rule #1 in dealing with starting over: We must always start with God.
As sinful humans, we allow our culture, circumstances, and expectations to have way too much influence over our lives and we struggle with new beginnings no matter how great or small. For me, I have found the simplicity of the Words in this Psalm as a reminder that if I focus on who God is, I can now live life with a renewed zeal. His character proves Himself as one who is trustworthy, so dear Christian, trust Him—for everything God does is good. If we know He is good, we will now embrace the new beginning as a new platform that God has appointed uniquely for you to bring glory unto Him. Jesus Christ must be the One in whom we harbor and as soon as we embrace who He is, we will then be able to rightly relate with our new start. We slowly see that it is nothing about us, but that it is all centered around Christ and bringing Him to the forefront of every aspect of our lives so that all those around us may see the work of God. I encourage you to taste and see the goodness of God, be thankful in the midst of fresh starts, and press into Jesus, asking that you would be used as a vessel solely to bring glory to God.
