The apprehension of a new year was captured by M. Louise Haskins in the following words spoken to the British Empire in the 1939 Christmas message of King George VI:
“I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown,’ and he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ “
“. . . Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God . . .” Here is the best principle to guide one as he faces the unknowns of a new year. James said, “… You do not know what will happen tomorrow … You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’ “ (James 4:14-15). Let the Lord have His way with you in the new year by practicing the following:
- RECEIVING WHAT HE GIVES. Realize that everything good has come (and will come) from Him (James 1:17).
- TRUSTING HIM NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. All of our plans for this new year need to be made with the attitude that says, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15). We need to plan our work, and work our plan, but undergird it all with – – “And this we will do if God permits” (Heb.6:3).
- BECOMING WHAT HE REQUIRES. James challenged his readers to commit themselves to the Lord’s will by doing good (cf. James 4:17). The most important question in 2022 is not, “Will the COVID-19 pandemic be over?” but, “What will the Lord have me to do?” (cf. Acts 9:6). ·
LET THE LORD HAVE HIS WAY WITH YOU IN 2022!
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