A New Year

It is hard to believe that it is already a new year. For me it felt like 2009 flew by. Julie and I had a great New Years Eve. We had a great dinner with friends with great conversation. The highlight of the night for me was when we went around the table to talk about Christ's mercies on our lives within the past year. It was amazing to see His provision for us and how He poured out His grace and mercy. The verse that was circling my heart that night was Isaiah 55:8-9 which says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts". I began to think about how many times in our lives we try and force things to happen because we think they are best for us. But in the end God has a better plan which we may not understand, but his plan saves us from ourselves and our selfish hearts.

My prayer for this coming year is that we would cling to the cross more than we did in 2009. That we would trust God's provision for us and walk in obedience. That we would not live according to the flesh which brings death, but rather live by the spirit which springs forth life (Rom 8:13). I pray that we would look back at the end of 2010 and rejoice in the grace and mercies of Christ.

Merciful God,

I know that my heart is bent to live life out of my flesh. Lord help me to live my life out of the spirit which brings life. Thank you for your lavish love and grace and mercy which I do not deserve. Save us from ourselves. We need you. I pray that we would love you so much more than we do. Help us Lord. Amen