As 2017 begins its final fade to black, I am mindful of the fresh canvas God gives us for a new year brimming with its inspirational promises and powerful rush of hope. What a blessing!
The fresh canvas that just peeked over the horizon this month is the same fresh canvas of forgiveness and grace that God gives us every day. It’s God’s fresh canvas to be forgiven and look forward with bold, Christ-like confidence that he will be there for us and bless our life. It’s God’s fresh canvas to discover what he would have us do, who he would have us be, and how he would have us serve him and his Kingdom.
Ah yes, the beauty of a fresh canvas. Not just at the beginning of a new year—but always, every day.
God’s daily gift of forgiveness and renewal notwithstanding, we all know that there is something very different and extra special about how we approach that canvas at the beginning of a new year. We come to it with boosted adrenaline and re-energized incentive to formalize our commitment to God and what he would have us do in the New Year.
That dynamic is certainly at work in me today as I begin my 2018 trek. Indeed, I am bursting with exhilaration and wonder about what’s ahead in the next 12 months. I can’t wait to see God’s plan for my life and how he will work through it and be glorified.
REFLECTION
Every year I spend most of December in prayer about the year ending and the New Year’s dawning. Having my birthday on December 5 and our wedding anniversary December 31 (40 years!) makes it a perfect time for this kind of introspective and contemplative seeking of God’s heartbeat and direction. Looking back through the years, he has always been faithful to paint a new picture for my life’s direction.
God blessed us mightily in 2017 with growth of ministry’s online platform from 1268 to over 100,000 followers and thousands of lives have been impacted for Christ!
And God’s direction is crystal clear going into 2018–keep on helping Christians ACTIVATE their faith and grow spiritually. Keep on helping believers love God more and fear less. Keep on producing powerful, life-changing devotionals, blogs, videos and social media posts.
