by Kala Loptien

The Old Self Falls

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link. 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing…”
Isaiah 43: 18, ESV 

I think we can safely say that fall is upon us. The temps are chillier. (I spy sweaters, boots and vests!) There’s a different smell in the air. I won’t say the word yet; but I know Pikes Peak received a dusting recently. I pulled up a photo captured with my in-laws last September during our mini “Colorado Colors Tour” outside of Conifer. We stumbled upon a dirt road off the beaten path and discovered a beautiful scene. There was a spectacular stillness. Then suddenly, the aspen leaves — set aglow by the sun through the evergreens — started to float and flutter their way to the ground. They almost sparkled. It was magical. We stood in reverence, recognizing the beauty of it all and the One who so carefully crafted every masterful piece.

What happens to the trees in fall and winter is similar to our process as followers of Christ. The leaves become affected by what’s happening around them. They look different for a little while; until they are dramatically stripped of everything and left empty. That’s a challenging place to be. It might seem difficult to weather storms when you’re seemingly vulnerable, weak and fearful. But God tells us when we are weak, He is strong. When we’ve been emptied of ourselves, we are filled with Him. Our old self needs to fall away in order to make room for the beautiful transformation the Lord has planned. We know that in His perfect time and season, those trees bloom a vibrant color. They are made new. So are you.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Cor. 5: 17, ESV

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado