the Beginning
January 05
In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, there is a verse that just fits the beginning of a new year: “It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end” (Deuteronomy 11:12).
God’s people Israel had a centuries–old promise from God that one day they would possess a homeland far beyond their wildest dreams. After languishing for over four hundred years in Egypt, God had seen to their deliverance, and they were on their way to Canaan, the Promised Land. They roamed the wilderness for over forty years before their children stood on the bank of the Jordan River, hesitating before crossing into Canaan.
Here the promise of God rings in, as it were, a marvelous new year: “The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven” (Deuteronomy 11:10–11).
His promise to us in this land as we enter the new year, as surely as we place our faith in Him, is not only an earthly Promised Land, but an eternal one—which is far better. They both have Heavenly spiritual showers of blessing. We are assured that God will be with us continually . . . from beginning to end, here and in eternity, which has no end.
Poet John Oxenham’s words seem to chime in for those of us who have a few doubts.
Not for one single day
Can I discern my way,
But this I surely know,—
Who gives the day,
Will show the way,
So I securely go.2
Keep Looking
January 06
In the book Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do, Robert Schuller speaks of his boyhood on a small farm in Iowa. His family was poor, but they managed to get by in an area where the weather was not predictable. One summer the family was particularly devastated when a tornado virtually destroyed their farm. However, they remained grateful that all the family members had escaped unharmed. After the storm, they returned to survey their damaged property. Among the ruins was a sign that used to hang on the kitchen wall. Originally the sign read: “Keep looking to Jesus” . . . but after the tornado, broken in two, it simply said: “Keep Looking.”3
“Keep Looking” . . . a marvelous motto for a person at any stage of life particularly as one gets older.
Looking back on his life in the magnificent passage of Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul reflects on the glorious experiences he has had in serving Jesus Christ. Then he says this in verse twelve:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect . . . But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12a,13b,14).
Then he adds this bit of wisdom for you and me: All of us who are mature should take such a view of things (Philippians 3:15a).
In other words: Keep Looking!
Decisions
January 07
I’m sure you have learned to make right decisions. If you are like me, the right decisions you have made have often resulted from lessons learned from wrong decisions you had made previously. Our failures are sometimes better teachers than our successes.
Coming to the end of His ministry on this earth, with the cross looming, the Master faced a crucial decision. The task of spreading the gospel of salvation was to be left to a diverse group of His followers after His resurrection and ascension. The leader of the group, at least the spokesman, was the fisherman Simon Peter. Could he be depended upon? Peter often wavered, uncertain of himself. Jesus knew this and warned Peter that he might fail in the face of personal danger. Peter protested vehemently that he would never fail Jesus. He did . . . three times he denied his Lord before Calvary—denied that he even knew Jesus.
After the resurrection, Jesus faced Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after a group of disciples had spent a fruitless night fishing. Testing him, Jesus asked if Peter really loved him. When Peter replied affirmatively, Jesus pointed out that it would cost Peter to follow through on that promise. Then Jesus said to him: “Follow me.” Peter hesitated; success or failure was in the balance. But Peter, aware of his failures and sorry for them, bravely faced up to them. He, of course, became Peter the solid rock, who was largely responsible for founding the first churches. So effective was his witness to his faith that after his sermon the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were won to the way of Christ.
Wrong decisions, you see, may well point the way to right decisions. Let us use some of the failures of the past to form the successes of the future.
The Greatest Satisfaction
January 08
In response to the vast human needs of global proportions, Albert Schweitzer and countless others like him have dedicated their lives to relieve suffering and to tell others of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In one of his writings, Schweitzer describes the kind of moment in his life that gave him the greatest satisfaction. A native with intense suffering was brought into his hospital. Dr. Schweitzer calmed the man by relating that he would operate and the man would soon be well and free of pain. After the operation, the caring doctor sat with the man while he was regaining consciousness. Slowly the man opened his eyes and whispered in sheer wonderment: “I have no more pain.” That was the moment of Dr. Schweitzer’s greatest satisfaction . . . no monetary reward there, but a deep satisfaction.
In response to the vast human need with which He was surrounded, Jesus gave what we call the Sermon on the Mount, found in which are the marvelous Beatitudes. The last few verses of chapter 4 in Matthew set the scene. News about Jesus had spread, and many brought to him people with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the epileptics, the paralytics, the demon possessed etc., and Jesus healed them. Large crowds from Galilee and beyond followed Him. Chapter 5 begins by indicating that Jesus then went up to a mountainside and began to teach the comforting words of the Beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled
(Matthew 5:3–6).
Jesus remains as concerned about the sufferer today. And so are His followers, whether skilled like Albert Schweitzer or simply able like you and me to share the Master’s love and concern.
Trust
