I wore myself out getting everything finished, so by the time my CHRISTmas EVE party came around, I was wiped out, thus, I have been on vacation, so to speak, taking it easy, and fighting off a cold; then last night we had a Family CHRISTmas/Birthday party to attend, but now, it is time to TRY to get back into the groove, and on schedule!!!
Everyone seems to have HIGH HOPES as a new year arrives; I mean, we almost believe that the changing of the year is like magic, but we find out real quick, that wasn't the case, eh?! I have ALWAYS looked forward to the new year with GREAT anticipation, and HOPE, which I KNOW is kind of preposterous, yet, I also greet each day in a similar fashion! KEY IS as long as *GOD* GIVES us these hours, THERE IS HOPE, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY, THERE IS PROMISE, and so, while we overstep it a bit on New Year's Eve, our excitement IS, and CAN be a good thing!!!
I DON'T make resolutions concerning a span of time which I have NO control over; although I DO set certain goals, while PRAYING to, and RELYING ON THE LORD *GOD*! I learned way back that we set ourselves up for disappointment in making resolutions, partly because we are NOT so realistic, AND because we pretty much exclude *GOD* and HIS WILL as we make our resolutions! We act as if all wrong will be righted with the changing of the calendar, and so, in a week, or a few of them, there is an air of let down, and we settle back into our usual ways...
It is FUN to imagine that the countdown to the New Year will ring in all we HOPE for, dream of, and wish for! It IS FUN to envision all this playing out for us in the next 12 months! It IS GOOD for us to be inspired, motivated, and encouraged, but it pans out IF THE LORD is NOT the center of all this expectancy! HIS WILL OVER ours IS TRUTH, and IS the mainstay of our journey through this plane, and this time!!!
Let us step into 2016 with a *GODLY* mindset, and let us RELY ON HIM, and ASK HIM to guide us, direct us, protect us, and provide for us!!!
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
HABAKKUK 2: 4...
“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith.
When tossed and perplexed with doubts about the methods of Providence, we must watch against temptations to be impatient. When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must observe the answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and providences; what the Lord will say to our case. God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God's word. Though the promised favour be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting. The humble, broken-hearted, repenting sinner, alone seeks to obtain an interest in this salvation. He will rest his soul on the promise, and on Christ, in and through whom it is given. Thus he walks and works, as well as lives by faith, perseveres to the end, and is exalted to glory; while those who distrust or despise God's all-sufficiency will not walk uprightly with him. The just shall live by faith in these precious promises, while the performance of them is deferred. Only those made just by faith, shall live, shall be happy here and for ever.
The phrase “the just shall live by faith” is quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38.
In Habakkuk 2 God pronounces judgment on the wicked Babylonians. Because they are greedy and arrogant and bloodthirsty and ruthless, because they kill without remorse, and because they give themselves over to every sort of evil, God promises to one day destroy them.
But that day is a long way off.
Babylon won’t be destroyed for almost 70 years.
They still have a lot of looting left to do.
They will plunder many nations.
They still have lots of looting left to do
Their end is determined, but it won’t happen for a long time.
What do you do while you watch the bad guys steal and kill and behead their enemies? That’s a question ripped from today’s headlines.
What do you do when evildoers come to power? The just shall live by faith.
What do you do when your prayers go unanswered? The just shall live by faith.
What do you do when your dreams turn to ashes? The just shall live by faith.
When all you see is trouble on every hand, the righteous man remembers that God is still on his throne, and when the dark clouds break overhead, he says to himself, “The just shall live by faith.” More than 600 years later the Holy Spirit moved Paul to quote these words to prove that the gospel was no innovation but had been predicted in the Old Testament...
We will dig deeper into this in coming posts, but let this BE how we enter 2016, and let the WISDOM OF *GOD* which REIGNS in this mindset, LEAD us!!!
I wish you LOVE, I wish you HOPE, I wish you PEACE, I wish you all which THE LORD *GOD* might grant you in the year ahead, and I wish you the desire to take from HIM as much as HE offers! May *GOD* BLESS us all, and may we BLESS HIM as we GLORIFY HIM for all the world to bear witness to, in PRAISE, in WORSHIP, in REJOICING, in THANKS, and in every way which might HONOUR HIM!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2015/2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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