Proclaim Trust

New Horizons

Proclaim Trust’s first office was in my bedroom. In the late 90s, I lived in a shared house where we all had our own room. Our second office was in Champness Hall in Rochdale. In 2006, we took out a lease and moved into a more spacious place.

Before we moved into the new offices, we decorated all the way through, and then we moved in the furniture and added some extra things. In my office, there is a large wall and I told my wife Tina that I wanted to put something really significant on it. Three weeks after we had moved in, I was having a look around an art shop and I came across a painting called New Horizons. It shows a beautiful horizon across a wide expanse. I saw this and thought, ‘That’s it. That’s what needs to go on my wall.’ I took it back to the office. I put it on the wall, and every day when I’m in that office, I can look up at the picture and be reminded that God specialises in creating New Horizons!

I’ve discovered that when we give God permission to enter into our lives, he then gets out his paint brush and starts to paint new horizons for us to reach for, one after the other. The first new horizon that God painted for me was purpose. I now have a reason for living. The next new horizon he painted for me was education. I’d messed up the first time round, so God took out his paint brush has painted that one for me early on in my faith. Another new horizon that God painted for me was marriage. I’d had relationships in the past that hadn’t lasted, and to be honest, it wasn’t really on my agenda, but he had a different plan, so he took out his paintbrush and painted that one on too. Since my Christian journey began, there has been one new horizon after another, and it hasn’t finished yet because there are many more new horizons to come!

What new horizons could be painted for you? Have you messed up and feel like it’s the end? Are you in a situation where it looks like there’s no way out? Could you do with some new horizons to reach for?

Michelangelo was walking past his friend’s house. He saw the lights on. He thought his friend had gone away. So he walked up and looked through the window and saw an easel and some paints. And he thought, ‘Just think what a picture I could paint if I could just get inside the house.’ This is exactly what God thinks when he stands outside your life looking in: ‘Just think what a picture I could paint if I could just get inside the house.’ God's waiting to paint new horizons for you, but he needs to gain entry first!