What I want for this New Year

1. Faith enough to accept whatever God designs

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Christ designs everything that comes in my life.

“My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me. I cannot choose the colors, He worketh steadily. Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.”

How often God interrupts our plans! Though we don’t understand it in that moment it always turns to our good. Even trails are designed by God. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” He knows our limits and promises not to overload us.

If I am going to enjoy this New Year I must have faith to accept what so ever God designs for me! Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” If you are born again you are His handiwork! Philippians 1:6 says “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” God is working on each of us. He brings just the right blessings into our lives that will make us into the vessel He intends us to be. In Jeremiah 18:6 God says “. . . as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand. . .” every child of God is in His hands being shaped and molded!

However, it is not always easy to follow the admonition is Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God” But if you couple the “all things” of Ephesians 5:20 with the “all things” of Romans 8:28 then we can thank God for everything no matter how bad it seems at the moment!

I want faith enough to accept whatever God designs for me this year!

2. My life so yielded so as to realize His Purpose for my life

Romans 12:12 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” God has a purpose for my life, every creature even the smallest insect has a divine purpose.

God has something He wants me to do for Him this year; I want to cooperate with Him to discover that perfect will! We are admonished in Romans 6:13 to “yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” It is hard telling what anyone of us could do for God if we were only yielded. We are valuable to God only when we are available to Him!

Our greatest ability is availability! God does not always use the educated man, but always uses the available man. He used a tongue tied Moses who made himself available, He used Gideon who was least among the smallest tribe because he was available. He used David who was overlooked by his father because David made himself available. He used a little boy with five loaves and two fishes because he made himself available.

He will use any of us also if we just make ourselves available! God has plenty to do; he is always hiring!

3. Gratitude enough to be thankful for every mercy and blessing

Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”and Psalm 68:19 says “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits” One of the greatest Christian graces is gratitude! Thank God for His mercies. Lamentations 3:22 says “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” Then in verse 32 He says “yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies”

Be thankful for the things you may take for granted, be thankful for the drudgery of work, be thankful for the dirty laundry, and messy areas your children leave behind – it will be just a short time and they will be gone into adulthood!

4. God’s approval for all that I say and do.

2 Corinthians 5:9 says “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him."

So often we go to great efforts to be found acceptable in the sight of others, but how much better to be found acceptable in the sight of All Mighty God!