2017: A Tarnished New Year

· Prayer,Difficulties,Suffering,God,Holiday

We’re just barely into this new year but, perhaps, it’s already tarnished. Perhaps what felt like a new start, a fresh thing, a bold beginning when the fireworks were flaring has sputtered out with old worries, fresh stresses, and murky fears. Or maybe it’s just the same old year. After year. After year.

2017: It’s not really a new year - it’s a year of NEW DAYS.

No resolutions can span the breadth of the unknown. Each new day of 2017 is certain to be brimming with the predictably unpredictable: joys and stresses, work and leisure; the to-do’s, the wish-I-could-do’s, the I-SHOULD-do’s, the self-imposed and the other-imposed.

But what about God? What is He going to do each day of 2017? If we could see His to-do list (ok - just bear with me here!), we’d see this:

- Today, I WILL GIVE THEM NEW MERCIES.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

~ Lamentations 3:22-23 - ESV

- Today, I WILL BEAR THEM UP.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

~ Psalm 69:19 - ESV

- Today, I WILL STRENGTHEN THEM.

I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

~ Isaiah 41:10b - ESV

- And tomorrow?? I’ll do it all again!

This is the way it’s always been for God’s people. This is what God has been doing - for His people - EVERY DAY - for millennia. And He’s doing it for you and me. Today.

So - how does knowing this effect our to-do-ing?

How about we look for the day’s mercies? What if we kept an eye out for the ways we’ve been borne up? What if we were alert to how we have been strengthened? What people and circumstances has God used to save us?

What are we to do? Just this:

- look for mercies.

- pause to ponder.

- take it in.

- give thanks.

- hope.

God is our daily salvation.

He didn’t just save us once.

He saves us every day - from worry, from fear, from sin, from ourselves.

He will carry us - daily - through 2017.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

~ Psalm 69:19 - ESV