Daily Thought For January 1, 2015

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May God's Blessing Be With You In This New Year

A young boy returning to school after the holidays was asked if he liked his new class. “No,” he answered. “There must be something you like,” his parents prodded. “Nothing.” “Can’t you think of one good thing?” “Leaving at the end of the day” was all he could muster.

 Sometimes we are like that young boy; we’d rather stay in the past than move forward to an unknown future, even if that future is full of potential. The Israelites acted no differently during their journey to the Promised Land. Scripture tells us that they complained often, even wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. So God sought to encourage them, as we see in this beautiful prayer of blessing.

 What did this blessing mean for God’s people? Well, it wasn’t a guarantee of automatic victory over all their enemies—but neither did it require them to be perfect. No, it was an indiscriminate blessing, meant to tell the people that God would be with them no matter what they faced.

 We too are on a journey, and as this new year unfolds, we will undoubtedly meet with good fortune as well as challenging obstacles. But no matter what comes our way, one thing will be constant: God’s blessing. In victory or defeat, in confidence or instability, we can still know our Father’s presence, his wisdom, and his guidance.

 Mary is a perfect example of one who relied on God’s blessing. When a sword pierced her soul at Calvary, when her Son was ridiculed and beaten, and even when he ascended to heaven and left her alone, Mary remained full of grace because she continued to trust in God’s providence. So as this year opens, choose to be like Mary, and surrender yourself to the Lord. If you look closely enough, you will find God’s blessings wherever you go!
“Father, I dedicate this year to you. I trust in all the blessings you have in store for me.”

 Daily Thought From The Word Among Us (www.wau.org)

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