I received a variety of thoughtful gifts for Christmas and I want to say, “Thank you for blessing me!” Some of the gifts are edible and I am probably enjoying them a little too much! Some gifts are more practical in nature and I have found and continue to find more ways to enjoy and utilize each beautiful item. Some gifts are just fun—make me smile—and remind me of who I am as God’s daughter and provide ways to enjoy my days in our temporary home. Finally, some of these wonderful gifts bring with them a sense of expectation and challenge for the future; I always enjoy looking ahead. For example, a dear sister-in-Christ gave me a 2025 flip calendar—Church Signs to Help You on Your Way—which I enjoy, because I find these little sayings so fresh and encouraging. In fact, I have enjoyed reading farther into the year, because these little short sayings provide a unique perspective! Therefore, I will begin by sharing today’s “sign” (New Year’s Day) to encourage us all: “Before us lay 365 days = 365 new chances!” In Scripture, the word chance is associated with the word opportunity and a way to see how one event flows into another in the goodness of God and being at the right place in our souls at the right time. So, pray for opportunity and pray for oneness with God this year.
As we enter the new year of 2025, let’s remember God has planned out our lives and has positioned us to see his goodness. Now, of course, we are not able to see his goodness in everything we face when challenges stare us in the face, but if we will spiritually press on and endure, we will gain a much bigger perspective of God’s love for us. Each day is a chance or opportunity to see God do some of his best work. Although it may be tempting to get caught up in the “task or work” of the day, let’s not allow that to navigate our lives in such a way that we forget to enjoy our moments. My goal for 2025 is to recognize and enjoy something really good each day (an indescribable awareness of God) as I live in Christ. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10).
No one understood what was meaningless like King Solomon. In our passage today, this king who was given divine Wisdom has made his way to a great Truth: the Lord is the only One who can bring meaning and satisfaction to life. We cannot find eternal meaning or satisfaction in life if we are not looking for the goodness of God that has been extended to believers in Christ’s work of salvation. We all want to serve our Lord, but we can do that in many ways. Jesus came to bring us genuine life; and he wants us to enjoy it! If we will feed on God’s Word, we will learn how to eat, drink, grow in, and enjoy the Truth he provides. We will see each day as a gift from God and with each twenty-four hour period, we have choices to be made in order to experience a rich and satisfying life.
So, this year, look at each day and say, “Show me your goodness, today, Lord, so I may proclaim your love and live in a way that brings you glory, as well as increases your kingdom on earth!” To enjoy life is to live it in continual fellowship with our Shepherd! It is time to stop wandering and follow the Shepherd!
January 1, 2025
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 A Time for Everything
1
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
Prayer: Lord, we ask for you to lead and guide us in this new year onto the paths of righteous living. May we become beacons of love and grace that attract others to you. Holy Spirit, you are the only One who can make this happen within and through us, so help us glorify our beautiful Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.