This is January 5 in the year of 2023. A new year, as the custom is, speaks of new things, new promises, new resolutions, new beginnings and other fresh things that are so often tailored to each individual. We all have them. We can’t help it. Try as we might we can’t escape the spirit of new things. There are some people who will seize the beginning of the new year with resolutions, vows, and other such things and off to a fresh beginning they go. But it seems that before we are around the first curve it seems we have forgotten about the new resolutions we have made. Just broken promises. There are vows that have been forsaken and it seems the same “Old Man” has reared his head as a strong man and now this year is just like the old year. Next comes frustration and discouragement. With this in mind I want to share some encouraging news with you.
Every new year, just like each day that God affords us, is given to us as a call to faith. It really doesn’t matter who you are, whether Saint or Sinner, the tomorrows that are before us are as unknowable to us as they can be. God’s Word tells us that “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…” (James 4:14). It is good to plan and set goals and dream of a better day tomorrow but we must retain the reality that our tomorrows belong to God. He is in our tomorrow before we ever see it’s sun rise. We plan with an understanding that our resolves and endeavors are temporary and we have very little time to pursue those dreams. We should be careful not to set our hearts to rise and fall on our dreams. They just might not come true and we might not have enough time to achieve these hopes. We must trust our tomorrows to God and by faith know that He goes before us and He leads us “in the paths of righteousness for His name sake”. (Psalm 23:3). He makes no mistake in where He designs our path. Therefore, we should look to Him and follow where He takes in the year to come. James also said because our life is a vapor, we should live life to the fullest – but how? James said “For that ye sought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that.” (James 4:15).
I don’t know what this year holds for me. But I know who holds my tomorrow. Sure, I will be tested, and my faith will face trying times. There will be days when I seem to be on bottom. But, whatever the test, God has allowed it for my benefit. My prayer for you and for myself is that we might have the faith of Job when he said, “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10).
May 2023 be a “GOLDEN YEAR” for all of us!
Until then,
Brother Glenn