2013 draws to a close and a new year opens up.
Firstly a huge online thanks to everyone in ICL who has served over the past 12 months – thank you so much.
So…..
Another year gone. Perhaps a time to reflect? Looking back over the past 12 months….
what can you be grateful for? are there people to thank?
is there anything that you have learnt?
what has been tough and how are you dealing with it?
are there things to let go?
Looking ahead to the coming 12 months….
what are your hopes, plans, aims?
is there anything that you are concerned about?
how are you hoping to grow and what do you hope to learn?
Such questions and others can be very helpful to ask at the beginning of a New Year. Even better is to ask reflection questions prayerfully and with an openness to what the Lord may well want to show us.
Part of the answer to some of the questions, could be talking and praying with others. Let’s not duck doing this where we need to.
Could I suggest two other questions for us all to ask:
Lord how do you see my past year?
Lord is there anything you want to show me about the months ahead?
I believe that it is good for us all to do this. Not that God of course is limited to Greenwich Mean Time or any other time zone! Our clocks, the way we measure time, the idea of a New Year is of course human generated. I don’t think God has a calendar pinned next to Him!
In fact again and again in the Bible, it is declared that God does not change – He remains faithful and true to who He is. One New Testament writer puts it this way – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Elsewhere James writes about the “Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17)
Circumstances will change, situations will shift. 2014 will hold all kinds of experiences. But we can go ahead in the knowledge of the love, grace and truth of the Lord, with His Spirit’s help and power.
Whatever you and I face this coming year – let’s remember He can be completely trusted!
Happy New Year!
Andy