Advent Week 4: Love (God’s Love Story)
December 22, 2024
What has your year been like? Rough? Filled with blessing? Some of both?
Whatever 2017 has been like, the calendar turns tonight and tomorrow a new year begins. Some of you already know 2018 will be rough. You are smack dab in the middle of something difficult. Chemo. Divorce. Unemployment.
So why bother paying attention to one year ending and another beginning? Because without intention we will slip into despair and discouragement. The enemy wants to ruin us and keep our eyes focused downward and inward instead of upward and outward.
So here is an idea as the calendar turns.
Thank God.
Have a time of prayer and thank God for every single thing you can think of that was good this past year. If things don’s roll off your tongue, let pauses happen. Let Him give you the eyes to see all the good stuff even in the midst of the hard stuff. His goodness will come to mind if you let Him bring them to mind. He has been with you. This intentional thanksgiving will lift your spirit…and your eyes.
Invite God.
Literally say, “God, I invite you into 2018. Invade all the parts of my life with Your grand and glorious self. Prove to me that you are real and intimately acquainted with all of my ways.”
Then when midnight strikes, 2017 is thanked for and 2018 is surrendered.
And that is a good place to be.
I wish you a surrendered 2018. We can all face that with confidence and hope.
Picture Explanation: My father turns 80 on New Year’s Day and the family gathered to celebrate him this week. This man lights up my world. We burn up the phone lines. I think I have talked on the phone with him more than anyone else in my life. I love him deeply. I will always be his little girl.
© 2017 by Oaks Ministries. All rights reserved.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6
4 Responses
Beautiful pictures, Laurie! I appreciate that perspective of entering the New Yesr by surrendering it. That IS what each day is all about. I’m going to do that tonight!
We both thanked and surrendered, then. May God teach us both about Himself in 2018 through our circumstances filtered through His hands.
Your post blessed me, and I love your thoughts about thanking the Lord for His faithfulness and blessings as 2017 ends and surrendering the new year to Him, trusting him to be by my side no matter what the future brings!
You have a long list of things to be thankful for! Wow. As for 2018, I am so thankful He is with us NO MATTER WHAT. Whew!