(Gen. 8:22)
God is the one who introduced the principle of a "new start." In Genesis 1, He worked six days; and on the seventh day, He rested. Sunday is the first day of a new week. We praise God as we celebrate on Sundays because it's resurrection day. Jesus arose on this day, and the early church began to worship on the first day of the week.
We celebrate a new day every day because the earth rotates every twenty-four hours. No matter how dark it gets in the night, morning always comes. A new moon comes up monthly. Every year, we have a new beginning as the earth makes one complete revolution around the sun. Then it starts all over again.
After winter, comes spring. God said, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease" (Gen. 8:22).
God established the principle of "starting over" in everything. If you have a bad crop one year, you can start over and plant a new crop the next year. Each year brings a new harvest.
The Bible is filled with accounts of people beginning again. God made a beautiful, perfect garden and put Adam and Eve in it. In spite of its perfectness, they fell. The moment they fell, God initiated a new beginning. He told Satan that the seed of the woman would crush his head. (Gen. 3:15.) God set in motion a new beginning for mankind.
When Jesus came, a new beginning came to the earth. Even time would eventually be recognized as B.C. and A.D. When Jesus came, time began again. That was no accident. Life begins, not at birth, but with the acceptance of Jesus Christ in your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. This is the ultimate starting over principle.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Billy Joe Daugherty was founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also the founder of Victory Christian School, Victory Bible Institute and Victory World Missions Training Center.
