A new year in God’s hand!

God’s care and perfect guidance

Once more we are entering a new year, with new grace and new opportunities. God already knows what this new year will bring, right down to the last detail, and this is a great comfort for us who believe. He watches over world events, and He watches over each of our lives. We can therefore face the future in full rest, joy, and thankfulness in all our circumstances, with faith and confidence in Him. He loves us and wants to enrich us for eternity with everything He sends our way. Those who only have their earthly well-being in view will constantly be disturbed in their enjoyment of life when things which they cannot understand come their way. We read that those who live according to their lusts are dead while they live. God attempts to awaken people from this sleep of death, because He loves them all and wants them to be saved.

When God resists the proud and haughty in all their ways, it is so they can, if at all possible, come to the acknowledgement of the truth and humbly seek salvation, and thus be blessed. Read Job 33.

Parents might think that God is hard if one of their children, whom they loved so dearly, is taken away from them. But this is also God’s goodness. For example, it is far better to be taken home to God as a child, undefiled by sin, than to live as a sinner for many years and perhaps be lost for all eternity.

A fountain of life

As long as a person seeks to put up an appearance before people and is bound by visible things, he will be restless and anxious and have all kinds of worries. We will enter into a glorious liberty of joy and rest when we are set free in our minds from all this by the Holy Spirit and a living faith. No external things can then disturb our inner rest, and our joy will come from within and not from without. This fountain of life will never run dry.

“But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14.

Let us meet the future with this fountain within us ever welling up to a richer and more blessed life in God. As the years go by, our earthly body breaks down; but it is blessed to experience that our inward, imperishable man is being renewed and is growing daily if we are faithful to the laws of the Spirit of life. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18.)

Israel and the rapture

There are many things that will come upon earth in the last days. These days, there is much political unrest, and people wonder what the future will hold. These events revolve around Israel, but no power can hinder this people from building their country. This small nation is a miracle to the whole world and will continue to be so to an increasing degree. Anyone who rises up against this people will be thoroughly put to shame. However, what is greater and more important than any of these other events is the preparation of the bride for Christ’s coming. Blessed are those who participate in this preparation and who will experience the rapture.

Let us make our calling and election sure by powerfully committing ourselves to all the virtues of Christ. “For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Read 2 Peter 1:5-11.

The God-fearing have a bright future ahead of them. We drink of the brook, lift our heads up high, and advance boldly on the way of God, believing and trusting in Him who has called us. He is mighty to keep us in full victory over all conscious sin and to present us perfect and blameless before Him at His coming.