Behold A New Thing

New things are exciting!  What compares to the anticipation of a new car or Macbook or Snickers bar!?  Love it.  

New things are intriguing!  Nothing like scoping out the new neighborhood or tasting that first dish at the new restaurant.  Totally awesome.

New things are mysterious!  How does one truly explain the sensation of becoming a parent for the first time? Mind blowing.

I wonder what God’s view of new things is.  How does God, who knows all and sees all, view a new thing?  To the Almighty God there is truly nothing new under the sun.  So how does He view new things?  Maybe there really is no excitement in the new for God.  Maybe the new is just the old done more recently.  

But maybe there’s another way to look at God’s view of the new.  As a father I can testify to the fact that seeing my children experience something for the first time was/is just as fulfilling as experiencing it myself for the first time.  Certainly it is a different experience being the one who knows rather than the one who is going to know.  But I can assure you that I enjoyed seeing the first time experience just as much as experiencing it.  

I believe God’s approach to something new is pretty much the same.  He loves seeing His children experience a new thing.  He enjoys seeing the wonder, the excitement, the joy.  God loves new things because He loves His children and just as a father enjoys the happiness of his children, our Heavenly Father enjoys our fulfillment and happiness.  After all, that is the point of new things.  What happens in our lives, those new things that come, are given.  There is nothing new happening by chance.  

The Bible indicates, throughout the Old and New Testaments, that God is about doing new things. We know He is about doing new things in our lives.  There is reason behind our experience of new things.  It may be a good time to mention that I am fully aware that not all new things are pleasant.  However, whether its awesome newness like sliced bread or not so awesome newness like New Coke, the new things that happen in our lives are there on purpose.  

But what about these “bad” new things?  Does God get enjoyment out of seeing His children experience new things that bring pain, sorrow and/or anxiety?  Does God give those types of new things along with the sliced bread?  Well, I believe God does allow those types of new things - those “bad” new things - to happen.  I do not believe that He gives them as He would a gift that brings joy and hope.  But I do believe He, as a sovereign God, allows bad new things to happen that He could prevent.  But, let’s not overlook purpose.  

I mentioned before that I receive tremendous joy out of seeing my children’s anticipation and joy of a new thing.  I can also state that I have stood in awe of how, by God’s grace, my children have dealt with the new adversity, the new trial, the new bad things that have come into their lives.  I have enjoyed seeing my children successfully pass through the storm almost as much as I have enjoyed their jubilation over any good new thing.

God’s purposes are to build us up, to strengthen us.  They are never to tear us down or to leave us in despair.  Whether it is good new or bad new, the things that happen in our lives are there for a reason and should be receive from this standpoint.  We should understand that a loving Father is at work in our lives - enjoying when we flip out over the blessing and taking pride when we stand tall through the trial.