How to Begin Anew

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Jeremiah 18:4

Virtually everyone likes new things; a new car, new house, or new job.  New things always seem better because they create a sense of excitement and allow the exploration of territory that one has not previously explored.  This desire for new things can even cross over into the realm of relationships, ministries, or businesses.  When friendships, relationships, ministries, or businesses seem to fail, we often conclude that we would be better off disposing of the old and starting over with something/someone new.  The problem with this theory though is that after the initial excitement of the new relationship, ministry, or business has worn off, it too will become old and need to be nurtured, cultivated, and maintained.  In today’s verse of Scripture in Jeremiah 18:4, the potter did not dispose of the marred vessel but created a new vessel from the marred one.  The New Living Translation reads, “But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over” (Jeremiah 18:4).  Sometimes when a marriage or relationship seems to be failing, or our lives don’t seem to measure up to the vision God has placed in our hearts, what appears to be crushing circumstances is what God utilizes to make our marriage, relationship, or life anew!  This is what God did with human beings.  After Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:17 and Genesis 3:6), He did not destroy mankind but made the human race anew by sending His Son Jesus Christ.  He gave us a new spirit and saw us not as old sinful beings but as new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  God said in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.”  Don’t scrap your existing relationship, ministry, business, or hopes for your life.  Trust God to make the existing things new in your life!