Looking back
How swiftly flow days, weeks, months
Seems like yesterday
Days floating among,
Tomorrow’s murky mystery
Lived one by one
Await diamond days
Being blessed, blessing others
True benediction
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Today’s gift
A question and an answer…
The Question …
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
The Answer …
That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
[Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1]
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
[2 Corinthians 5:17]
Today’s gift
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because his compassions fail not
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3: 22-23
Hope for the new year.
Today’s gift.
For New Year’s Day 2022…
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Today’s gift.
“This is the day…”
Here it is. The big day has finally arrived. This is the day we’ve all been waiting for. It’s New Year’s Day! And, just maybe, by some magic of the calendar, by the flipping of the page from December to January, by walking through that door marked 2021 into a new year, we can finally put all our troubles and woes behind us. We can march onwards to a better future. This is the day…
Frankly, I’m sure this discussion has been had on many a New Years Day. Often we dial up that woe-is-me mentality and let ‘er rip. Woe and woe, trouble, heartache, you name it, we can find it at anytime, any year, no matter what the day. Negativity abounds sometimes. I know I’ve been there. The hope is that now that the new year is finally here, thing will get better. They certainly can’t get any worse.
“This is the day that the Lord has made…”
One thing I need to be reminded about over and over, especially when things aren’t going my way, is “I am not my own, but belong body and soul to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” I know, it sounds preachy, but I can’t think of a better way to say it, than in the words of the Heidelberg Catechism. Looking backward or forward, he’s got us. Even in in our struggles and uncertainties, the Creator of heaven and earth is intimately involved with us and his creation. He is working with us and for us, often behind the scenes, and has everything under control, past present and future.
“We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Sounds like a stretch some days, but deep down when the day is over, hopefully we can look back and realize what a gift God-made days are.
So, here it is, Psalm 118:24, today’s gift.
“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Walk as Children of Light 