Becoming New: A Devotional Guide for Letting God Transform Your Life Through His Word

By Kathy Foor

I was challenged as a young Christian woman by the notion that, as Christians, we should be distinctly different from others around us. According to Gods Word, when we trust in Christ as our Savior, we become a new creation, but that is not what I saw. I asked God, If this is trueand I know your Word is truewhy are so few Christians actually being transformed? Why am I not being transformed?

This devotional is the culmination of the lessons that followed those questions. God does not instantly transform us into new creatures. The evidence is clear on that! The instant we accept Christ as our Savior we are declared completely righteous, but the process of transformation continues for the rest of our lives.

As I learned to apply Gods truth to my daily life, he has been faithful to transform what was broken into something beautiful. He took my fears and taught me to live by faith. He took my strife and taught me to live in peace. He taught me to trade my anger and bitterness for love and forgiveness. I have learned to trust instead of doubt. I am filled with hope instead of hopelessness, and my sorrow has been turned to joy. He took my feelings of worthlessness and helped me to understand my value in his eyes.

I believe it is my calling to share with others how God longs to transform their lives too. We can stay as we are, or we can allow God to teach us a better way. With his Spirit to empower us, we can continue becoming the people he intended us to be. I hope you will join me on this journey to becoming new!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512765755

Kathy Foor

Kathy Foor and her husband live in a small town in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. She serves in her church as the elementary Sunday school superintendent as well as the choir and praise team director. Passionate about the Word of God since her InterVarsity Christian Fellowship days in college, Foor has spent the years since then learning to apply Gods Word to her daily life. She has taught numerous Bible studies and adult Sunday school classes and enjoys sharing her passion for Christ and His redeeming love with others.

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Copyright © 2016 Kathy Foor.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6576-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6577-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6575-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016919687

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/13/2016

To my children,

James Matthew, Katlyn Joy and Sara Beth

What a blessing and treasure you are to me! I am so grateful that God allowed me to be your mother. My prayer is that as you have witnessed these truths at work in my life, you would practice them in yours, allowing God to transform you into the people you were created to be, for in that you will find true joy and fulfillment.

And to my husband,

Thank you for believing in me!

Contents

Preface

A New Start

A Change in Thinking

Not by Might

A Gift from God

A Transformed Life

Choose Peace

Learn to Trust

An Eternal Perspective

A Bright Tomorrow

A Powerful Prayer

On Eagles’ Wings

Clothed with Compassion

The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength

A Change of Focus

Joy in the Midst of Trials

Abiding in the Vine

Time to Let Go

His Power in Us

Draw Near to God

Take Every Thought Captive

Choose Hope

His Grace Is Sufficient

Peace in His Presence

Just One Word

More Than a Conqueror

God’s Plans Are Good

Being Transformed

Peace Like a River

How Deep the Father’s Love

Love Is a Choice

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Stay True to Your Calling

Take God at His Word

New Life Bursts Forth

Safe in His Dwelling

Extraordinary Living

Joy Restored

Be Joyful Always

Ask, Seek, and Knock

A Garment of Praise

The Earth Trembles

Fulfill Your Purpose

Ruins Restored

Joy Bursting Forth

Victory Comes from God

Seek Wisdom

God Will Restore

Letting Go of the Past

Live Free

Pure Joy

Seek God’s Face

Do Not Fear

The Lost Is Found

Cleansed from a Guilty Conscience

Put on the Armor of God

The Resurrection and the Life

Governed by the Spirit

Pruned

Walk in Peace

You Are Loved

They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

All for God’s Glory

Pleasing the Spirit

In His Presence

Be Holy

The Power of the Tongue

A Purpose Driven Life

Ready for Christ’s Return

His Compassion Never Fails

Let Freedom Reign

Filled with Life and Peace

No Condemnation

Precious Gems

Shine, Jesus, Shine

Learn to Listen

Walk in God’s Ways

Created for Purpose

Grief Transformed

Keep in Step with the Spirit

Endnotes

Week 1 Discussion Questions

Week 2 Discussion Questions

Week 3 Discussion Questions

Week 4 Discussion Questions

Week 5 Discussion Questions

Week 6 Discussion Questions

Week 7 Discussion Questions

Week 8 Discussion Questions

Week 9 Discussion Questions

Week 10 Discussion Questions

Week 11 Discussion Questions

Week 12 Discussion Questions

Week 13 Discussion Questions

Preface

Becoming New is a compilation of the most important lessons I have learned from God’s Word which have helped me to want what God wants for my life. I have learned that transformation is not only possible, it is God’s plan for us! Transformation does not happen accidently, but moment by moment, day by day, as we learn to live out the truth of God’s Word. We can stay the same, or we can choose to believe God’s Word and begin to put it into practice in our lives. Empowered by the Holy Spirit God has given to all who accept his gift of salvation, we must learn to cooperate with him as he transforms our lives. He will redeem every broken place and make it whole. He will take every empty place and fill it with his love, and he will draw us to himself where he will skillfully mold us into the people he had in mind when he created us. Though there may be many obstacles and bumps in the road, if we persevere, he will be faithful to complete the work that he has begun in us. We cannot transform ourselves. Only God, who is the Creator of all that is, knows what he has in mind for us. May we be willing to let him have his way until he has completed his work.

A New Start

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

—2 Corinthians 5:17

I am always blessed by this text, and it is often a verse that I meditate upon at the beginning of each new year. Only with Christ do we truly have a new beginning. We can put aside everything that has gone before and allow him to create in us all that we were meant to be from the beginning. How exciting is that!

When another new year rolls around, my tendency is to think about all the ways I have failed to live up to last year’s resolutions. But God does not want us to spend our precious moments looking back. His Word says that the old is gone and everything is becoming new. This does not mean that we should never look back, because sometimes you have to look back in order to move forward. However, I spent too much of my life trapped by the past, focusing on what was and all of my failures until God interrupted me and showed me a better way.

If I belong to Christ, then I am a new creation! Hallelujah!

This year, my desire is to allow God to make me all that he has created me to be. Without him, I am lost. I am nothing. With Christ, I am made new. I can be all that he desires me to be. This is not because of anything in me but because of his promise and his work in me. I am so thankful that God is not finished with me yet, and I celebrate today as a new beginning to become all that I was meant to be. I hope you will join me!

A Change in Thinking

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

—Philippians 4:8

T ransformation is not instantaneous. It is a process, and the process begins when we let God transform our thoughts. Because we live in a very negative culture, it may be necessary to return to this important lesson often. Someone is always grumbling about something, and it is so easy to join in. We can get stuck in a pattern of very negative thinking. In fact, when God first challenged me with this verse, I remember noticing that none of my thoughts fit his standard! I had to ask him to help me even find the first good thought to think! However, day by day and moment by moment, I have learned to take each thought captive unto Christ.

When I have a thought that is not up to his standard, I reject it as not from the Lord and make a very conscious effort to think about all of the good things in my