2019. The New Year has arrived once more. A blank canvas unrolls before us, bristling with opportunities to prove the faithfulness of our wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ. As we consider what lies ahead, let us ponder on the lines of the first verse of the poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, “God Knows“, (though many refer to it as “The Gate of the Year”).
GOD KNOWS
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way”.
Let us journey on into the new year with confidence in our Heavenly Father’s plans for us:
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
As we enter into 2019, may God’s Word become creative in our every day circumstances, confident that He is in full control, the Unchanging One, in our ever changing world. Our year ahead lies safely in His hands, as do our times.
Lamentations 3:24 “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him”. My past mistakes do not define me and are not my identity. In God, these experiences can be my learning curves to shepherd me into a better way, God’s way, in the year ahead. Romans 6:14 “ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.” As I surrender to Christ’s Lordship and humbly bow, I discover the truth of His word: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Philippians 4:13.
God does not hide His light from me. It is time to apply what He has shown me to my life and walk in it…..instead of just talking about it! Where there is no application of His revealed truths to me, there will be no change in my life. May this year be a year of change in my life, to the glory of God.
May this scripture be indelibly printed on my heart to meet every circumstance I travel through this coming year, (Note the 3 constants in the verse: now, always, every.) 2 Corinthians 2:14 “NOW thanks be unto God, which ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in EVERY place.”
Let us keep a thankful heart throughout our journey of 2019, confident that the Lord of our lives is also the Lord of every circumstance that He is able to safely navigate us through…..all for His glory!
Happy New Year to all our readers. God bless you all exceedingly abundantly above all you may ask or think!
