Bible Verses About New Beginnings: Starting Again with God

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Have you ever wished for the chance to start over or for a clean slate after a less-than-stellar moment? While life doesn’t come with do-overs, God offers us many opportunities for new beginnings in His Word. Let’s unpack the freedom and joy God’s amazing grace brings to all His children.

Life is full of mistakes and things we wish we could change, and our Heavenly Father is gracious to offer us a new start because of His great mercy.

Just when we feel like we’ve messed up more than He could ever forgive, the Lord’s great love reminds us of His amazing grace. He tells us that His mercy is fresh every morning. With Christ, every day is a chance to start over.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

While January is the time of year we often focus on new beginnings, through God’s grace, we can begin again at any time, regardless of the date on the calendar.

What does the Bible say about new beginnings?

One of the most beautiful Bible passages about starting over comes from the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

When we give our hearts and lives to the Lord, He makes us a new creation! Our old, sinful nature and the wicked ways that used to define our lives, no longer control us. Our “old self” is gone, and replaced with a new spirit that desires to honor and serve God. We’re no longer slaves to our old life or the bondage of sin we were enslaved to!

Instead, we have a new self and a fresh identity in Christ.  We’re also filled with the Holy Spirit to supply us with wisdom and guidance.

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19

As a child of God, we can move forward from shame, guilt, and failure, because we’ve been redeemed by Christ. 

Also, we can rest assured knowing we have eternal life and our eternity with Him is secure. Even when life feels impossible, we can have hope in God for the promise of eternal glory with Him.

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Examples of new beginnings in the Bible.

The Word of God is full of people who received a new beginning from the Lord. These Bible stories are wonderful examples for us that show God’s mercy to His children.

Abraham

In the Old Testament, we find the story of Abram and Sarai. They believed in God’s promise for a son, even as the years passed and they remained childless.

God renewed His promise in Genesis 17 and changed Abram’s name to Abraham.

Abraham was to keep the covenant with God, and circumcise all children on the 8th day as a symbol of the covenant. Then, God called Abram to leave his country for a new land that God had promised. Despite some missteps along the way, he followed God into the unknown.

Even though Abraham was an old man, God kept His promise to Him. Abraham got his new start and a new identity as the “Father of Many Nations.”

Paul

Has there ever been a more dramatic life change than that of Apostle Paul? He was a man who tortured and killed Christians, but God changed his life.

His new life began on the road to Damascus when he heard the loud voice of the Lord God. After he came face to face with Christ, his life was never the same.

Then, Paul spent the rest of His days with a new career of spreading the message Gospel, planting churches, and discipling believers.

Ruth

The story of Ruth begins far from the land of Israel. Imagine a woman who was raised in a heathen nation, serving false gods. When she married Naomi’s son, Ruth was introduced to the God of the Israelites.

She left her former way of life and started over in a new country. Eventually, she fell in love, married a Jewish man and became the great-grandmother of King David, and was placed in the direct lineage of Jesus. How’s that for a fresh start?

Joseph

While Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob, Joseph’s brothers were filled with jealousy over the affection of their father. The brothers were also enraged at Joseph’s prophetic dreams, which showed the brothers bowing down to him. Then, they sold Joseph into slavery and faked his death.

Yet in this strange land, God was with Joseph and He used for good what the brothers had meant for evil. Joseph found favor with Potiphar, his master. Even after being thrown in jail for refusing the advances of Potiphar’s wife, the Lord was with Joseph.

Eventually, after a series of events, the Lord placed him in a position of authority during a famine in Egypt. While in charge of the grain in the land, Joseph came face to face with the brothers who sold him all those years ago.

Yet God was still with Joseph and he chose to forgive his brothers, despite the cruelty they showed him. Just as the Lord bestowed a new beginning on Joseph, he chose to give a second chance to his brothers.

How to start again and embrace new beginnings

God offers us new beginnings in Christ whenever we need one. All we have to do is seek the Lord and trust God’s grace to meet us where we are. We don’t have to clean ourselves up for God, but humble ourselves before Him.

While there is no specific date or situation required to start again, there are a few times that seem to give us great opportunities.

The start of a new year is a perfect time to start fresh and begin a new chapter. But the first month or the year isn’t the only time we move into a new phase of life.

A new relationship, a move to a new city, or even the start of a new job can encourage a new beginning. But you can start again at any time when you choose the new way the Holy Spirit offers.

Or, after a season away from God or walking in your own strength, you can return to the Lord and experience a fresh start in His holy name.

Depend on God’s promises to lead you into a new beginning in Christ at any time. Then, stand on the victory of Christ when you feel those deceitful desires creep back in.

Whenever you have an opportunity to change and grow, embrace it! Seek God’s wisdom and grow your faith in Him when life changes. Start each new season and put your life in God’s hand no matter the circumstances.

Bible verses about new beginnings

Still need some assurance that God is a God of new beginnings? These are the best Bible verses that will remind you of God’s plan and amazing grace at work in your life.

Letting go of the past

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a desert? Or like your past just won’t let you go? God has promised that He can make rivers run in the wilderness, filling all the dry places. He forgets your past, and you can, too!

Isaiah 43:18-19

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.

Philippians 4:13-14

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.

Ezekiel 36:26

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

 

Trusting God in times of change

As much as we wish we could control every part of our lives, that just isn’t possible. But God promises us that He has special plans for us. No matter what happens, He knows and will be with us. We can follow God where leads, even when we don’t see the way!

 Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Lamentations 2:22-23

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Looking forward to Heaven.

We live in a fallen world, and it seems as if it will never get better. How wonderful to know that we are looking forward to a bright future in Heaven with Jesus–the ultimate new beginning.

2 Peter 3:13

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Isaiah 65:17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Revelation 21:1

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Isaiah 62:2

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

Free New Beginnings Bible Reading Plan.

If you’re facing a season of change in your own life or just looking for a way to start over, please know that God sees you. He knows if the changes you’re facing are happy, or maybe not what you wanted.

Also, know this, He loves you with a steadfast love that never changes. He offers a new beginning in Christ no matter what your situation may be. Simply start seeking the Lord and spend time with your Heavenly Father.

If you’d like to dig deeper into the fresh start that Christ offers, grab this free Bible reading plan. God’s Word is packed with practical wisdom and encouragement for starting over and this Bible reading plan will help you see His way.

May these Bible verses about change and new beginnings help you to start again, standing firm on God’s promises for the fresh start you crave.