“Another year is dawning, Dear Master let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with Thee; Another year is dawning! Dear Master, let it be on earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.” (Francis R. Havergal).
So it is. Another year is off to its 2022 start, ready or not! Have you made your resolutions? Whether one has made or has no intention of making resolutions for the new year now in progress, Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions are always challenging: (1) Resolved: to live with all my might while I live; (2) Resolved: Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I can; (3) Resolved: Never to do anything which I should despise or to think meanly of in another; (4) Resolved Never to do anything out of revenge and (5) Resolved: Never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
As for resolutions, one would be hard pressed to find more apt vows than those of the Psalmist: “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works.” (Ps.9:1)
Or, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps.34:1)
“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Ps. 89:1)
“But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity….” (Ps. 26:11)
“I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” (Ps.116:9)
“I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.” (Ps.119:15)
“I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of all Thy doings.” (Ps.77:12)
“I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.” (Ps.71:16)
A.B. Simpson, prayed “Lord, I would ask for a holy year spent in Thy perfect will; help me to walk in Thy very steps, help me to please Thee still.”
May I share three things with you that I am convinced each of us need for 2022 more than silver, gold or any success in life’s pursuits:
- More Love, for without it preaching is powerless, prophecy is pointless, knowledge is nothing and faith is futile. (I Cor. 13:1,2,13) Jesus gave it as a new commandment (Jhn.13:34) and James called it the Royal Commandment (James 2:8). John said it was proof of our salvation (I Jhn.3:14) and Jesus said it was the badge whereby all men would know we were His disciples. (John 13:35) We need to learn of His love and to live in His love more than ever in 2022!
- More Holiness, Hebs. 12:14. We do have a holy calling: “Who saved us and called us with an holy calling,” (2Tim.1:9); and we must have a holy conversation: “But as He which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written, ‘Be ye holy for I am holy.’” (I Pet.1:15,16) We are a holy priesthood (I Pt.2:5) and are called a “holy nation,” (I Pet.2:9). We are a people of the Holy Word of God with a future in the Holy Land and will live forever in God’s Holy City.
- We need spiritual Power. Power that has been provided, Matt. 28:18: “And Jesus came and spake unto them saying ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.’” It is, too, power that has been promised: “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you….” (Acts 1:8). His power has “exceeding greatness to usward who believe.” (Eph.1:19) His power does not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (I Cor.2:4,5); and His power is in earthen vessels “that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Cor.4:7) Finally “according as His divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” (2 Pet.1:3)
How, then, can we possibly face 2022 without being plugged into His power?
I hope that this New Year will be full of blessings by grace through His love, grounded in His holiness and charged with His divine power.
“Lord, give us please a New Year, still, a year to do your holy will; to watch and work and grow in grace, to long to see Your loving face. Lord grant us mercies yet we plead; we stand, O God, in desperate need. Your pardon, peace and promised power is needed now worldwide this hour. Let us not shrink our duties here; give us a heart that’s free of fear. O Savior, Jesus, dearest friend, Be Thou our strength to this year’s end.” (Pastor Anthony Slutz)
“Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” (Ps. 65:11)
YOU and GOD 