Last week, I was in the Smoky Mountains with my family enjoying time away as well as soaking in God’s beauty. Looking out over the mountains from my cabin taught me many lessons about vastness, courage, redemption and grace. The beginning of the week started out sunny with blue skies so clear that you wondered how the mountains got their name. Two days in, the mountains lived up to their name as rain came in and left behind a smoky veil. Eventually the sun pushed through and provided a beautiful backdrop against the green covering the hillsides. The most dramatic picture came after a drenching rain throughout the third night. The morning dawned bright and clear and the sky was washed fresh with a brilliant blue. The landscape before me had been given a “do over”.
There are so many life moments that beg to be washed clean – the chance to be given a “do over”. Can you think of a time when all you wanted was a “do over” to make everything better?
[Tweet “God promises a new heart as He washes clean the landscape of our lives.”]
But God is the God of relief and a new creation, if only we take off our blinders and look around us to find Him. God promises to give us a new heart and to wash clean the landscapes of our lives. God promises to work in us and through us as we open our hearts to receiving the gifts that He has promised.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
I learned last week that while God promises a new heart, we have work to do to make this happen.
We must…
Let go of the old
The NIV Life Application Bible asks “why try to patch up your old life when you can have a new one?” By accepting God’s promise, your sins are washed away and you are open to receiving a new heart from God filled with His spirit.  There is no reason to hold onto the clouded vision because God has transformed our hearts.
Accept the new
Once the old has been removed, the new is here to stay. There is no looking back and no reason to carry the baggage of the past forward into the new creation. Praying the prayer of David in Psalm 51 opens the doors to letting God take up permanent residence.
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12Â
Surrender our past mistakes for a new heart
As IÂ gazed out over the mountains and immersed myself in their beauty, my heart was filled with gratefulness for the gifts that God graces us with in our world. My mind knew that in order for my heart to be renewed, I needed to not only say the words “I surrender all”, but allow a space in my heart to hold onto God’s promises exclusively.
God fills us with the promise of tomorrow and gladly carries the burden of our past. He opens our heart to transform us into His new creation. We are renewed by His spirit and loved with an intensity that we need only embrace.
Is this a promise you need to reach for today? Will you surrender all to be renewed in the spirit with a new heart?
With open hearts and a willingness to let go of the past, we humbly come before you today, Lord! Create in us a clean heart!
Mary
This is another post in the series of God’s promises. Click here to read them all and thank you for joining me today.
You might find me linking with these lovely blogs:
This is such a beautiful post! I know what it’s like to hold on to an old life, but have also felt the freedom of saying goodbye and welcoming the new. God is so good at creating better, alternative plans. His ways are always better than my own, and I am so very thankful.
Thank you for your sweet words, Laura. I have also known the freedom of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new but I still struggle with letting go completely. I believe there is a sense of comfort in what we are familiar with and for me that feels good whether I am hanging on tight to something that should have been let go forever. I am so glad you joined in here today and I pray your weekend is blessed.
There were two messages this past week that pointed me to the verse from Mark 2:22 : “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”
And your words here make me think of that verse so I thought I’d share. 🙂 We need to do some letting go when God gives us a new heart.
So glad you had a wonderful trip. I will respond to your message in a bit. 🙂 <3
Love you, friend.
xoxo
I am so glad you share the verse from Mark. It gives me a different perspective when looking at the old and the new and one that shows me the why behind it. I have a lot of letting go to do but am learning so much recently about the promise God gives us to create a new heart in us.
My trip was amazing and I appreciate you for checking in with me. You are such a treasured friend! Much love!
It’s funny how often I want to hang on to the “old” in favor of the new that God wants to give me, Mary. I’m struggling in a certain area to let the past be the past. And your post reminds me of the many blessings found in surrender to our Lord. Thanks for this beautiful and inspiring post, my friend. My only wish is that we could have been in the Smoky’s at the same time. It’s like my home away from home, since my hubby grew up in Knoxville and his parents live super close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Hugs to you!
The old starts to feel comfortable because we wrap it around us a safety net but the new is a step out into the unknown that changes us. We are creatures of habit and I know holding onto the old seems to be my choice many times. I am praying for you as you work on letting go of your certain area. God is ready to carry that for you.
I also wish we had been in Gatlinburg at the same time this summer. I didn’t realize that you have family so close. Now that I know that we can work on connecting even if it is not in our home states. Hope you Friday is blessed and your weekend restorative. Hugs!!!
Love, love, love this post Mary…brings back such sweet memories of many vacations to Gatlinburg and Cades Cove…beautiful, relaxing, inspiring…many blessings to you ❤️
I have been going to the Smoky Mountains for years and this year was truly even more amazing. We did not make it to Cades Cove this year, but explored Laurel Falls as well as the Roaring Fork Nature Trail which were new to us. Thank you for stopping by and for leaving these sweet words to carry with me through the week.
I enjoyed your post so much! I loved your insights as you watched the varying weather unfold over the Smokey Mountains which btw I agree are beautiful! 🙂
The Bible is certainly full of “do-over” stories that encourage us and give us hope. After all, God is the great redeemer of ALL things.
I was especially inspired by your comment to, “allow a space in my heart to hold onto God’s promises exclusively.” I found that so profound! A “storeroom” of God’s promises always ready to be meditated upon for EVERY situation.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for being here Karen! Your words encourage me as well. Isn’t it amazing how God teaches us right where we are and uses His creation in the process? I am thanking God for the chance for “do overs” as well as for opening our hearts to His promises. Blessings to you as the week continues to unfold.
Hi Mary,
Nothing like a trip to the mountains to invigorate the soul and remind you of God’s majesty!! Thank you for the reminder that we don’t have to continually try to “patch up” an old life when we can have a completely new one. One that is blessed with new mercies every morning! Always a breath of fresh air, here, when I stop by 🙂
Blessings and ((hugs)),
Bev
Your words are a beautiful confirmation that God is speaking clearly not only to me but to others. His words are always ones that I need to learn from which is why I write them. I am blessed when others are encouraged too. The trip to the mountains was an added bonus to a beautiful week. Blessed you are in community with me. Hugs!!!
Lush, beautiful words, Mary, just like the photos you captured of Father’s Creation. This post is such a wonderful reminder to leave space in our hearts exclusively for Him and His promises. To let go of the past because what is done is done and He makes us and all things new. Thanks, sweet friend, for a lovely encouragement. PS Glad you had a deeply filling time away with Him. xxoo
Thank you so much for embracing my words and encouraging me so well. For some reason this lesson of letting go and letting God take up residence in our hearts is one that I am still learning. I appreciate you and the time you took to stop by today. PS. Yes my vacation was a much needed time away with my family and God.
Hi Mary – looks like you had a wonderful time with your family. What a perfect time and place for renewal of spirit, heart and soul. Thankful that you were gifted with new memories and special moments with your sons and your God.
Thank you for always providing inspiration to my days!
Love you!
It was an amazing vacation Karen. The beauty alone was worth the drive but the family time to join together in closer unity was why we were there. Of course none of this would have happened without God and that was the greatest gift of all. Thank you for stopping by and sharing in my words and God’s beauty. Love you friend!
Yes, please! To a renewed heart. Thanks for your words of encouragement, Mary. Oh, I do long for a do-over some days. How wonderful to remember His promises to renew us.
I love your Smokey Mountain pictures. So beautiful. (And your comment on my blog about your mother touched me so much. Praising God here for you, Mary.)
You being here today blesses me so much. God continually teaches me through people like you when we share words we need community around us to affirm that what God has laid on our hearts also speaks true to others. Thank you for being one of those people for me. May God work mightily in us to renew our hearts and strengthen our lives for Him. Hugs my friend!
Surrendering our past mistakes is so hard, isn’t it? But with the promise of renewal, why do we struggle with giving it all to God? Beautiful advice in practical, do-able steps! I love your pics of the Smokies, too. Just a ‘little bit’ jealous:) Blessings!
My trip to the Smokies was a true get away from home and we had a wonderful time. I also struggle with surrendering all to God and it can be a daily process but the extension of grace and the reminder of God’s promises is such a gift. I am learning slowly to make space in my heart for God’s promises to take up residence. I pray we all learn this process no matter how slow it may be. Thank you so much for being here and blessing me with your sweet words.
Mary- Praise “the God of relief and a new creation” ! The verbs you used: let go, accept, and surrender, are spot on and perfectly illustrate our role in the gospel. They are passive, yet active and speak to His work in our lives. Thanks for sharing- I loved this post and your new site! Looking good!
Thank you Karen for your sweet words. What a treasure we are in Jesus when we hold on and believe in His promises. In the act of surrendering all, we make room for God to take up residence in our hearts and that is what keeps us centered.Thank you for blessing me by being here today. Hugs friend!
Love God’s “do-overs”!! Just wish I didn’t have to keep asking for them 🙂 Grateful we serve a loving and grace-filled God. Beautiful reminder this morning.
God’s amazing grace is what gets me through everyday. I am the queen of “Do overs” but God still walks alongside me and grants me new mercies even in my brokenness. I am grateful for you today and your sweet encouragement. Thank you for being here, Kathryn.