A New Year

A new year brings with it new opportunities and a clean, fresh slate on which to write. It’s a chance to reassess our lives, goals, and priorities. Whatever mess we may have made of things last year, this year is a chance to make amends and do things differently.

Have you taken the time in this first month of the year to reassess your goals, priorities, and attitudes? Have you prayed and asked God what His plans for you might be? Have you surrendered your own will to the Almighty God who created you and knows you so well?

One of my favorite scripture passages is a great one on which to meditate at the start of a new year. It says, “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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Are you seeking Him with all your heart and surrendering all to Him? I have discovered that starting the day surrendering my will to the Lord, handing Him the reigns to my life, asking Him to fill me with His Holy Spirit and direct my steps, makes for a much better day, month, and year. That doesn’t mean that there are no problems. But when problems come it makes all the difference to have the Lord right there to carry those burdens for us instead of shouldering them all alone. It makes a big difference in our attitude about and reaction to the problems.

When I am weak, He is strong. When I don’t know which way to turn He simply says, “Follow me.” When life gets heavy he says, “Cast your burden upon me.” It’s all about keeping our eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Great I AM.

Oh, Father God, we love and adore you in this new year of 2009. We give our hearts afresh and anew to you, Lord. Do with us whatever pleases YOU. We surrender our lives, our will, our hearts to you and you alone. Amen and Amen.