The New Year, a blessing

It seems odd to me that we all are wishing everyone happiness and a good new year, better than last year we say.  Is that the way we should look to the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one?  We talk about New Years resolutions.  When we look at the last year more than likely we feel defeated by the ways we failed or proud about the things we managed to get done.  God has brought about change in my life and I am thankful but this cannot be my focus except to give Him the glory for the good and the hard.

What I have noticed is God has used the hard things that happened last year to drive me deeper into His heart.  He has revealed fears and doubt, sin and self righteousness and independence of Him to bring me to more and more lean on Him.  So I am not only thankful for the easy things but thankful for the hard.

So for the coming year I pray I trust Him more.  That I rest more in His finished work for me.  That I fight the good fight of faith because He is so faithful to me.  I want to see life with new lens of expecting good only from God even if it is hard and to see beauty, His beauty in a whole new light.  I hope I love others better and serve God from a willingness to be sacrificial for the good of others.  I want to keep my eyes on Him the author, perfecter of my faith.  I want to quit trying to get the approval of man and my glory because I get it right and know all I receive is from Him and it is all for His glory but also for my good.  He is a loving Father who loves to give good gifts to His children.

So as we go into this new year may we keep our eyes on Jesus, praise our God for sending His Son and giving us to Him and the gift of the Spirit.  That it is complete and I can give up my striving for Gods favor and know it is already mine.  He has given me value and worth that is beyond anything I can hope for in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He has a plan and I can't mess it up.  Nothing can separate me from His love.  I have the seal of the Spirit and I am forever secure and His.  He is about growing me into the likeness of His Son and when I see Him face to face it will so be.  Jesus has defeated Satan at the cross.  God has given me His Word to fight evil victoriously and He fights for me so whom do I fear?

So may the circumstances of this life in the next year press you into the heart of God to trust Him more.  May we proclaim the good news of the Gospel and believe it with our whole heart, growing each day to trust in Jesus.  So may this new year be a blessing to you and me as God is at work teaching us to persevere and trust Him with each area of our lives and our very hearts.