It’s a new day! What will you do with it?

By Tom Shanklin

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18, 19, KJV.

When I was at For His Glory Church in Spring Grove, Minnesota in December, a prophecy came forth. The essence of it was this: “It’s a new day, says the Lord. It’s a new day, if you want it to be. Walk in the new day. Walk in the light of it, and you will enjoy the blessing of it. For the choice is yours. It’s a new day! says the Lord.”

How many times have we heard the Holy Spirit say, “It’s a new day!”? And yet, all too often, nothing changes. The reason is: We need to walk in the light of the new day. We need to leave the past behind. As he says, “…Remember not the former things.”

We have been hearing many wonderful prophecies about 2017. God has been speaking of breakthrough, miracles, supernatural evangelism and discipleship and more. But we need to realize that we have part in whether or not these prophecies are fulfilled in our lives and in our churches. We need to cooperate with the move of God.

Read my article about 2017: “These are the Days of Greater Glory.”

God is Doing “a New Thing!”

God is doing “a new thing!” It’s a new day! It’s not a time to dwell in the past. It’s a time to move forward with what God has for us today. But if we are not careful, we can remain chained to the past emotionally and spiritually. That’s why he says “Remember not the former things.”

This is not a call for us to contract amnesia, but rather an exhortation to let go the things inside of us that chain us to our history and keep us from walking into our future and fulfilling our destiny.

1. We need to let go of the pain of the past! Too often, lingering hurts from past experiences have an unsettling and unwelcome impact of our thinking and attitudes. If we are going to walk in the new day that God has for us, we have to let go of those hurts and allow God to bring healing. We need to let go of all animosity for those who have hurt us and truly forgive all that is past.

2. We need to let go of the guilt of the past! Too often we are living in regret-land because of the mistakes we have made and sins we have committed. We need to finally accept God’s forgiveness and believe in the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us of all sin. We need to agree with God’s assessment concerning our sin and say, “I’m not guilty! The price has been paid.”

3. We need to let go of the glory of the past! Not only do we need to let go of the negative aspects of the past, but we also need to move on from the good things. We cannot live in “glory days” of the past and walk into the glory that God has for us today. We are to go from faith to faith and glory to glory. Thank God for the glory of past days, and we can learn much from them, but today is a new day, and we need to walk in today’s glory.

Paul Pressed into the New Day

The Apostle Paul learned this lesson. He knew that in order to press into his future, he had to let go of his past. He says:“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13, 14, KJV.

Although Paul had many things that he could have boasted about, he knew in reality he had a very negative and hurtful past. He had caused great pain. He had been a persecutor of Christians, and had stood in agreement as the church’s first martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death. He knew that he could not live under that condemnation and succeed at this mission. He had to let go of his past and believe in the greatness of God for forgive and to give victory in his life.

It’s Time to Go Forward!

Holding on to old attitudes and old patterns can have very negative consequences on us and those around us. When it’s time for something new, it’s time to let go and get moving forward. As God told Moses as the children of Israel stood before the Red Sea with the armies of Egypt pressing in behind them, “Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:” Exodus 14:15, KJV.

When God says it’s time to go forward, we had better get moving. Then God will move in miraculous ways, as He did that day. He split the Red Sea and destroyed the army of Pharaoh. God is not lacking in power, but sometimes our fear and lack of initiative blocks the flow of His grace and power towards us.

Eventually, Israel’s attitudes cost a whole generation their inheritance. They were chained to the past and could not move forward with God. When they were about to go up and possess the promised land, Moses sent 12 spies into the land. The Bible tells us that 10 of them came back with an evil report. “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:33, KJV.

Instead of remembering the might and power of the Lord that they had seen as God brought them out of Egypt and split the Red Sea, their hearts were full of fear because of a new challenge. They still had the old negative slave mentality and saw themselves as grasshoppers. Therefore they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness waiting to die.

Someone said, “It only took the Lord a few weeks to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took Him 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. Eventually all the “dead heads” died off and God took Joshua and Caleb and a new generation into the promised land. “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” Joshua 1:2, KJV. The old move is over. The past is the past. Have a funeral and move on. It’s a new day! Go and possess your possessions, says the Lord.

What Will You Do?

What will you do in this new year? Will you wait to die in the wilderness or move into your promised land. The choice is yours! God is predicting great things for you in this new year. It’s time to let go of the past and reach forth into your future in God. It’s a new day, if you want it to be!

Let’s make a declaration! Say these words: “Thank you Father, it’s a new day. It’s a new day for my finances! It’s a new day for my health! It’s a new day for my spiritual life! It’s a new day for my relationships! It’s a new day for my ministry. I’m coming out of all darkness and discouragement and laying hold of my future. I’m a new creature in Christ. Jesus died and rose again to set me free. I’m walking in holiness. I’m following the Lord. It’s a year of breakthrough for me and my loved ones. Lord, you say it’s a new day, and I agree. It’s a new day, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let us know what you are believing God for this year, and we will agree.

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