“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” ~Isaiah 65:17

Recently while surfing through the channels on my TV, I came to an auction where they were selling cars. These cars were more valuable than the ones listed for sale in the want ads for various reasons. Although some were rarer than others, much of their value came from the fact that they had been “restored.” In human terms restoration means that they had been returned to their original showroom condition, the one that they were in when they came off the assembly line.

In working in an addiction recovery ministry, I often hear men say that they want to be who they were before they began their addiction. But experience has shown that God’s intention goes beyond our expectations. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Such is the way I have seen God work in my own life and in the lives of many others. The secular world will tell you that addicts and alcoholics have an incurable disease and all we can do is treat the symptoms. God says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). But what I have learned is that when God says new He means better than the original! The Scripture above states that the former things will not even be remembered.

When I first became sober and looked back at the train wreck that I had caused in my former life, all I could do was shudder. Today I don’t have to do that anymore. I am a new creation. I have a new identity. I am not who I once was before I began drinking. I am a child of the Most High God. We need to be conscious of the fact that when we become born again, old things have passed away… and all things (including us) have become new!

Lord, thank you that your idea of restoration far exceeds ours.

Written by Chaplain Jim Freed: Chaplain Freed is the Director of the Colony of Mercy, the residential addiction recovery program for men at America’s Keswick.

Today’s devotional was taken from our Real Victory for Real Life Volume II. Real Victory offers 365 Daily Meditations for Victorious Christian Living with daily Bible readings to take you through the Bible in a year! You can purchase Real Victory for Real Life Volume II on Amazon by clicking here

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 35; Proverbs 4

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: Fear is a self imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love. ~Rick Warren

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith ~Philippians 1:25 (NKJV)