What Lies Ahead

A New Year brings the overwhelming anticipation of things to come; all of us will experience joys as well as sorrows. (We’ve been assured that “troubles” will come. John 16:33) But, in our tragedies as well as our triumphs, we tend to forget that we don’t need a “New Year” to give us a fresh start! Our God is faithful and He has given us the dawn of every morning as a sign that EVERY DAY is a NEW day!

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 2:22-23 NLT)

Each night we have the opportunity to reflect on our day and grasp hold of the grace that is being prepared for the day ahead. Each day we are to reflect on our relationship with God and humbly ask Him to search our hearts so that we walk the path which leads to a life that is secured in His hands.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

(Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

Many will be starting “New Year’s Resolutions,” some will succeed, yet many will fail. One resolution that will aid in the success of all of the others is making the decision to focus on God. What does God want for your life? What does God have planned for your day, your week, this year? These are the questions that He longs to answer. We are craving God’s voice, yet seldom do we stop to listen. Even worse, we decide what we’ll listen to and what we’ll pretend we didn’t hear. It is up to us to make the decision, each and every day, to “forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead.” When you seek Him above all else, there is peace and joy in the midst of every storm…Christ Jesus is calling you.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)