Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! As we celebrate a new year, we are celebrating what our Almighty Creator established. Yes, Genesis 1:14 states that at creation, God said,

“Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.”

“Year” and “years” are mentioned over 800 times in the Bible. The Bible records the number of years people lived, the years people were in captivity, the number of years rulers reigned, and on and on. In God’s eyes, the first day of a new year is not simply another day. It has past, present, and future value. Consider a sampling of how God keeps note of years:

Genesis 7:11 – “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.”

Genesis 18:14 – “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Leviticus 27:24 – “In the year of jubilee, the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it.”

Numbers 10:11 – “Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony.”

2 Kings 25:27 – “Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah.”

1 Samuel 27:7 – “The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.”

Isaiah 6:1 – “In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, …with the train of His robe filling the temple.”

Years have significance to our Heavenly Father. He ordains events for certain years. He marks them. He takes note of them and uses people who are sensitive to His call.

Rather than letting today come and go with passing thoughts of resolutions, let’s pray to our Heavenly Father with anticipation about what He has in store for this year and how we can be a part of what He is accomplishing.

Let us use this year to daily praise how our Lord has chosen to reveal Himself to us.

Let us use Christ as the image of whom we are to be conformed.

Heavenly Father, how exciting that You, Creator God, establish years, months, and days in which to accomplish Your will. We praise You and pray to be increasingly conformed to the image of Christ. Use us for Your kingdom and glory.

Friends, I’d love to have you join me beginning Wednesday, January 10th at 10 am for our weekly Bible Study of John Part 2 or on Thursday, January 11th at 6:30 pm. Click here for more info.

Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study. 

Happy New Year! By the way, who was it that decided time would be marked by years? Hmmm – have you ever thought about that and that when we celebrate a new year, we’re celebrating what our Almighty Creator established?  Yes, Genesis 1:14 states that at the creation of the world, God said,

Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. 

“Year” and “years” are mentioned over 800 times in the Bible. The Bible records the number or years people lived, the years people were in captivity, the number of years rulers reigned, and on and on. In God’s eyes, the first day of a new year is not simply another day. It has past, present, and future value.  Consider a sampling of how God keeps note of years:

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Leviticus 27:24 ‘In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it,

Numbers 10:11 Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony

2 Kings 25:27 Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah

1 Samuel 27:7 The number of days that David lived in the country of thePhilistines was a year and four months.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, …with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Years have significance to our Heavenly Father. He ordains events for certain years. He marks them. He takes note of them and uses people who are sensitive to His call. Rather than letting today come and go with perhaps some passing thoughts about resolutions, let’s pray to our Heavenly Father with anticipation about what He has in store for this year and how we can be a part of what He is accomplishing.

Heavenly Father, how exciting that You, Creator God, set years, months, and days in which to accomplish Your will. Use us! Let us be a part of the unfolding of Your eternal plan.  

Prayers of My Heart

LISTEN

Do you wonder what Jesus looks like? If so,  Revelation 19:13  tells us this about God’s gift to us, “His name is called THE WORD of GOD.” In other words, the Bible, God’s inspired WORD, is a collection of descriptions of Christ’s countenance, power, and thoughts. Every day, you and I’ve looked at a different facet of God – that He is wonderful, powerful, infinite, majestic, holy, kind, patient, forgiving, merciful, and on. I’ve loved my time with you this year as we’ve shared our mornings, days, or evenings – depending on when you open this email. It’s sent from me to you in love with this in mind – that we grasp a better, fuller appreciation of who our LORD is. Why? So we can more fully love and follow close after His heart. Thank you to those who have given a donation to help my non-profit ministry with the daily costs of funding 365 Days of Praise. We’re now partners in getting these daily truths into city homes, rural farmhouses, Pakistan villages, and India ministries – those who then forward them to those in their sphere of influence. You’re the best, and I love ministering with you. God bless you and Happy New Year!