01/01/2023
New Year's Days are like new life, they offer us the opportunity to begin anew, but for this to be realized we must first let go of the old and grasp hold of the new. We must be willing to accept the change and transformation that our new beginning offers us. Yesterday was New Year's Eve, and should have been a time of remembrance, but for so many people it is just an excuse to party, get intoxicated, and revel in the sinful world. However, for Christians, and those seeking Jesus, New Year's Day offers us an opportunity to refocus our attention on the renewal of our faith and living a more righteous life. Which of these describes us? Are we satisfied with recovering from another hangover, or are we ready to accept the positive change that Christ’s transformation offers us?
“Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.”
Psalm 145:2 ESV
Hangovers generate many resolutions, and prayers like “God if you will take this nausea and headache away I will never drink alcohol again” or “Lord I feel terrible; if you make me feel better I will be in Church every Sunday from now on”, but these are promises made in the spur of the moment without much forethought or commitment, and are typically not meant to last for much longer than a day or two… or however long it takes for our stomachs to settle.
We don’t have to wait until New Year's Day to make a change in our faith lives, because that can happen anytime, and on any day of the year, but today does offer us a momentary pause between the old and the new which we can use to motivate ourselves to do something we have already been considering. I would use the word resolution here, but these days and times that seems to imply that we are committing to something that we will simply not live up to, that we will fail at with very little remorse. But, if someone will truly give their life to Jesus today, then the body of saints will be in prayer for God to give them the strength and power to stand by their promise.
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV
Asking Jesus to be the Lord of our lives is not a trivial matter. It requires that we not only say the words, and be baptized, but that we truly believe, seek out our salvation with fear and trembling, and that we will pick up our cross and follow Him… it involves commitment, obedience, and yes… suffering. These things ask more from us than a desperate prayer on the morning after a drunken night, they mean that we will honestly act in all sincerity and commit ourselves completely. It means that we want to live with Him every day for the rest of our lives, go to church, and to study His Word.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
Psalm 27:4 ESV
We have spoken of what is required of someone who wants to accept Jesus as their savior and God as their Lord, and to change their lives, but now let’s talk about those who are already saved. Are we prepared to pray for these new Christians? Are we willing to do this every day? Can we make this a part of our daily prayers, and not only that but reach out to them, and disciple them? This is the next step in our transformation as Christians, and what better time to consider this than on New Year's Day.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for all those who have committed their lives to you on this New Year's Day, and I pray that they have done so with sincerity, forethought, and true desire. I thank you as well for placing them on my heart and asking me to pray for them, and to teach them of your Word and the gospel of Jesus. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who takes our brokenness and turns it into a desire for you. Praised be your name for this New Year's Day that motivates us to accept your transformation and leads us to become men and women of faith… prayer warriors and teachers as well. Merciful are you who can take the drunken headache, or unsettled stomach, of a drunkard, and make them serve your purposes as you lead the lost to your Son Jesus, and a changed life in Him. Wash us all in the blood of Jesus and cleanse us of sin in this way. Judge us Father, not for ourselves, but for who we have become,,, transformed in Christ. Seat us at your family table forevermore and call us your children in whom you are well pleased.
Rich Forbes