Happy New Year 2018 to each and everyone and may God bless with His goodness and mercy throughout the year. Our prayer for you this year and every year is what Aaron was told as to how to bless the people: “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numb. 6:24-26). What greater things could anyone enjoy during 2018 more than these six things: 1) To be blessed 2) To be kept 3) To have His face shine upon you 4) To have His gracious presence 5) To have His countenance lifted upon you 6) to have His peace. There are 365 days in the year and we pray the Lord will bless you with these six things each day; however, we know that Satan is always ready to rob us of the joys of our salvation. If we aren’t blessed with all six things experimentally in our lives each day, we know that we shall be blessed with all six things in glory after awhile.
There isn’t a single human that knows what the year may have in store but we serve a God who does know. Elder Michael Gowens gives quote from someone in one of his sermons that states; “Never be afraid to trust an UNKNOWN future to a KNOWN God.” The future on earth is not known by anyone but we aren’t in the dark about God as He is KNOWN by His born again children of God. We can trust God to give us strength day by day because he is faithful. “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.” (I Cor.10:13). God has never broken a promise and never will but we are fleshly individuals at times and doubt if God will come to our rescue. Jesus said that the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. God doesn’t gives us a week’s supply of grace at once but we are taught to pray “Give us day by day our daily bread.” This breeds continual trust in a KNOWN God who has everything is His storehouse that His people need.
Even though there are 365 days in the year, no two days are alike as each one has its own unique characteristics. When our hope seems dim as the dawn arises, we can remember the promise of God given by Jeremiah who also felt his hope had disappeared. He was made to declare, ” It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:23). The mercies and compassions of the Lord are NEW every day even though that mercy may bring the same blessing we enjoyed the day before: however, we need it today as we cannot use yesterday’s mercy today. The scripture says that “today is the day of salvation.” The scripture also says to take up our cross DAILY and follow the Lord through self-denial and commit our ways to the Lord.
This is what happens to those who TRUST the Lord, DELIGHT in the Lord, and COMMIT their way unto the Lord. “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. ” (Palm 37:3-5) May we all be blessed to follow this recipe for happiness each day during 2018.–January 1 2018–Elder Larry Wise
