Today I had a little clean out of my bedroom drawers and shelves, as I was prompted by the approaching of a new year, and new things ahead. I went through old paperwork, my notebooks where I jot down ideas, thoughts, and tasks, and I generally sorted. I have a sense of expectation and the need to prepare for what God wants to do next. Much like the preparation many woman who are pregnant go through when they are about to go into labour. As the due date draws closer, often expectant mother’s go on a cleaning and sorting spree, and can be found cleaning windows, and sorting through cupboards, in preparation for the new life which is about to arrive.
As the New Year approaches it’s a little like being pregnant with something, and it is an ideal time to prepare. We can sort through our internal and external worlds, as we think back over the highlights and lowlights of our journey during the last year. We can resolve to believe for good things, and less drama and negatives, as we lift our expectations for good things and new life!
The approaching of a New Year is a great opportunity to review God’s promises to us, and to delegate some time in our schedules to seek His wisdom and plans for the New Year. It’s important not to miss this “once-in-a-year” opportunity to take some time alone with God for some extended time of reflection, listening, prayer, and planning.
Many people spend a lot of effort working on externals, such as their physical appearance or a new job, home, course of study or an interest. But to see genuine change and growth, and to enter into all that God created us to be, we must also work on our internal world’s.
What we believe in our heart determines our life. Friends, career, behavior, family, values, all stem from what we believe. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”. (Proverbs 23:7) If we want to begin the New Year well we must get our believing right. And the one thing that is paramount to building a foundation for our peace and happiness for the future is that God is good, and He is good all the time.
You may have had a terrible year, but if you can look back at the past year and understand that God is good all the time, and the devil is bad all of the time, we can perhaps make sense of some things better.
God is good, and if something was stolen, died before it’s time, or was destroyed, you can be sure the devil had his hand in it. Because Jesus came to give abundant life, and the devil came to steal it.(John 10:10) Jesus is not out to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), but instead He is chasing after us, to bring into our lives His goodness, love and mercy (Psalm 23:6).
Today, plan in some alone time with Jesus, and sort through your internal world so you can begin this New Year fresh and ready for new life, and new beginnings. Don’t drag the negatives, or unnecessary excess weight of this year into the new. God is good, and His mercies are new every morning. He has awesome things planned for each one of us, and regardless of the year you may have had, He wants us to expect and believe for better things ahead.
Prayer: Jesus please help me to take the time to reflect, learn from and sort through all the circumstances and events of this past year. Thank you for the blessings of the highlights, and for walking with me through the low times. I’m looking forward to good things in the new Year with you. In Jesus name Amen.
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