“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in His ways and by fearing Him” (Deut. 8:2-6).
Coming to the end of a year often is a cause for reflection, and that can be positive. Sometimes it’s good to look back, to reflect, and to see the hand of God who brought us and is bringing us through some rough times. Before God took His children into the Promised Land, He asked them to look back. Hear the words of Deuteronomy 8:2, “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Many of y’all don’t have 40 years of memories but whether it is one year or 80, the principle applies: we are commanded to “remember” what the Lord has done on our behalf. “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you.” As we stand on the threshold of a New Year, there are four things which I hope you will remember which can serve as things to lead us into the future.
First, remember God’s faithfulness to you this past year. It was Jeremiah who cried out, “Great is your faithfulness!” in the midst of the longest lament in the Bible. And since God has been faithful, He is still faithful today and will be faithful tomorrow …no matter what comes. Remember how God did meet us this past year, how He faithfully responded to our heart cries and saved us from ourselves and the disasters that sought to undo us.
Next, remember the fact that God is Sovereign and that He is still in control of the universe. I Chronicles 29:11 reminds us of just who God is: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.” Let’s refresh our memories about who God is. Yes, He is big enough to be in control of our lives…all our lives…the pain and the joy which is being made full with each passing day.
Then, remember His provision for you this past year. Do we too often doubt His care? Reflect on how God has brought us through in our times of need. How did everything get paid that was paid, except by God’s gracious provision? How were we able to walk through the dark days of this year… this season, even, except for the grace provided for us by our heavenly Father? How did you grow more and more into Christ except by God’s provision of grace? Can you answer these questions with anything other than “Yay and Amen” to God’s continued provision of grace?
Finally, remember His promises. There are literally thousands of promises in God’s word with our name attached to them. While some promises are given specifically to certain groups or people, most of the promises of the Old and New Testaments are made to God’s children. They belong to us, not because we have earned them, are entitled to them, or deserve them by being good or kind to others, but because we are God’s child and He delights in giving us good gifts that will bring Him glory, edify ourselves and be a blessing to others as we share with others as He has shared with us. This is part of our inheritance in Jesus Christ.
So plan to face the New Year one day at a time, walking hand in hand with Him who knows no surprises and will meet you at the beginning of each new day but… BEFORE the New Year dawns take some time to reflect of God from this last year and this will help you prepare for our reflection and communion service this New Year’s Eve night.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
