As we begin another year, it is good to think of some wonderful truths from God's Word for our encouragement.
God's mercies are new every morning: (Lamentations 3:22, 23). This means that every morning during this New Year God will look at you as though you have never sinned in your entire life thus far-provided you have repented of all your past sins and confessed them to Him. He will not remember the sins you have confessed (Heb.8:12). And that is why He can look at you every morning, with new mercies. On your part, you must also forgive others exactly as God has forgiven you. You must look at people with new mercies every day, not holding their past against them.
God will open up the way before you, step by step: (Proverbs 4:12-paraphrase). You don't need to know what liestwo steps ahead of you. Just take the step that you see, at each point in this new year..Then you will see the next step. That is how God will guide you. Doors may appear to be closed in front of you. But as you approach them, they will open automatically. But they won't open until you come near them. That is how God will lead you on. So don't be hesitant or afraid, if you see a door closed in front of you. Take the step God shows you and move forward."I have put before you an open door," says the Lord, "which no-one can shut" (Rev.3:8)
God will make your path shine brighter and brighter: (Proverbs 4:18). The new birth is compared to the sunrisehere and the coming of Christ to the noonday sun. God's perfect will for you is that you should become more and more like Christ every day of your life, from new birth until Christ's return. This is the path of the righteous - and along this path, you will get more and more revelation on God's Word, more and more light on the corruption of your Self-life, and more and more wisdom for practical situations that you will face. If you walk along this path, you will never backslide, just as the sun never goes back in the sky.
God will bless you as you eagerly wait before Him to hear His Word : (Proverbs 8:34). The first words that Jesus spoke in His public' ministry were that man can live only by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. To hear that word we must have a constant attitude throughout the day, of waiting on God with eager expectation in our spirit.
God gives fullness of joy to all those who live in his presence. (Psalm 16:11). This was the "joy set before Him"that Jesus sought for and that made Him willing to endure the cross every day (Heb 12:2). Fellowship with the Father was Jesus' most prized possession. To follow Jesus is to value fellowship with the Father just as He did. True Christianity is nothing less than a life of unbroken fellowship with a loving Father in Heaven.
God planned every day of your life, even before you were born: Psalm 139:16-18 (Living Bible) reads thus: "Lord, you saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I even began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book. How precious it is Lord to realize that You are thinking about me constantly. I can't even count how many times a day Your thoughts turn towards me. And when I awake in the morning, You are still thinking of me." God has a book in heaven with your name on it. In that book is written what His plan for every day of your life is. He has written there the trials He has planned for you in 2016, to give you a rich spiritual education. He has also written there how He will make even the blunders you commit this year to work for His glory. He has also written what you should do and where you should go. With all your heart, seek to know that plan.
God is silently planning for you in love right now. (Zephaniah 3:17- paraphrase). All of God's dealings with you this year will be based on His immense love for you. Everything that God will allow to enter into your life this year will come from a heart that has planned it specifically for you in love. He has pleasant surprises for you around the corner.
God will make everything work together for your good: ( Romans 8:28). Romans 1 to 8 is an exposition of the good news of the new covenant gospel. We start out as sinners (Chaps.1 to 3), then we receive the forgiveness of our sins (Chap.3); then we are declared righteous by God (Chap.4, 5). Then God delivers us from sin's power (Chap.6) and also from living by rules and laws (Chap.7). Finally we enter into life in the Holy Spirit (Chap.8). It is when we finally come into this life of submission to the Holy Spirit every day that our Father begins to work all the circumstances of our life for our eternal good. If other people harm us, God will make it work for our good. If you believe Romans 8:28, you will never again be afraid of people or of circumstances, for the rest of your life. You will not live in fear that you might have an accident, or die of cancer, or be harmed by anti-Christian fanatics, or any other fear - because our Father controls everything and everyone. It is because Romans 8:28 says, 'all things', that we can also "give thanks for ALL things ALWAYS" (Eph.5:20). Romans 8:28 covers every single circumstance and every single person you will face this year - absolutely and totally. Like a water-filter purifies filthy water and makes it drinkable, even so your Almighty Father will make everything work for your good perfectly in this new year, if you love Him and desire only His will for your life.
May the Lord grant you a blessed, Christ-filled new year.
