“My times are in Thy hand…” Psalm 31:15

Firmly believing that my times are in God’s hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God’s divine providence. Whether God appoints for me . . . .
health or sickness,
peace or trouble,
comforts or crosses,
life or death–
may His holy will be done!
All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord Jesus–and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and desire, my constant aim and endeavor–that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me.

In everything I have to do–my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name, to make Him my Alpha and Omega. I have all from Him–and I would use all for Him.

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me–I will fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon Him, His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace.

And if it should be my dying year–then my times are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as living–Jesus Christ will, I trust, be gain and advantage to me.

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always a humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and infirmity–together with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for both righteousness and strength.–Matthew Henry

“Oh that I knew where I might find HIM!” Job 23:3

Job’s cattle were taken from him.
His children were all killed.
His flesh was covered with terrible boils.
His wife treated him as a stranger.
Even young children despised him.

But Job did not exclaim, “Oh that I knew where I might find my donkeys, oxen, and sheep! Oh that my wife would have compassion on me! Oh that my children were restored to my care!” Though every earthly support had been stripped from him, Job did not groan after the earthly things that he had lost. Job longed after one thing only, the one thing needful–HIM!

“I miss my children and love my wife, but I can live without either. These boils are tormenting my flesh, but I’ll manage. I will survive without my servants, my cattle, and the respect of my companions–but I can’t survive without Him! Take what you will O Lord, but don’t take Him! Oh that I knew where I might find Him!”

The Universal Answer
The answer to every trouble, every question, and every difficulty in life is exactly the same–HIM! He is . . .
the Solution to every problem,
the Key that unlocks every door,
the Sun that illuminates our path,
the Light that dispels the darkness within,
the Physician that heals our sin-sick, broken hearts,
the Nurse that dresses the soldier’s wounds in bandages of grace,
the Bed of Rest for the heavy laden sinner,
the Way of Escape for those who are tempted and tried.

We bring upon ourselves needless misery and pain, when we lean on the arm of the flesh for support. We subject ourselves to unnecessary disappointment when we run to and fro seeking assistance from the helpless helpers of this world.

Free salvation and almighty strength are in Him!
Undying support and eternal satisfaction are in Him!
Heavenly comfort and divine consolation, along with legions of other nameless blessings are all in Him!

The answer to all of your problems, my troubled friend, is not within, but without! Do not run to family or friends for help–they are . . .
wells without water,
leaky cisterns,
helpless helpers,
and broken crutches.
They may help you with financial trouble, but not with soul trouble.

The solution to every problem is always the same–Him! Oh that you knew your need of Him!- (Frank Hall)

“Continue in prayer…”–Colossians 4:2
I repeatedly say, “Pray as though everything depends on it– It does!” Yet I find times when I don’t practice what I preach as I should and I need a reminder such as the following by Charles Spurgeon. It might do you good to read it slowly and more than once. Our text would indeed make a fine “motto for this year“.

It is interesting to remark how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;” and just as we are about to close the volume, the “Amen” of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob—there a Daniel who prayed three times a day—and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in his Word, he intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If he has said much about prayer, it is because he knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities, that until we are in heaven we must not cease to pray. Dost thou want nothing? Then, I fear thou dost not know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then, may the Lord’s mercy show thee thy misery! A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father’s face, and live in thy Father’s love. Pray that this year thou mayst be holy, humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter oftener into the banqueting-house of his love. Pray that thou mayst be an example and a blessing unto others, and that thou mayst live more to the glory of thy Master. The motto for this year must be, “Continue in prayer.”

“….he went out not knowing whither he went”—Hebrews 11: 8

Happy New Year! And as we stand on the threshold the best/only way to be happy is to follow Jesus. To do that we must walk by faith and John Henry Jowett described how this is done:

“This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”–John 21:19

This being the last day of the year I wanted to close with a thought that is ideal for the occasion. When I ran across this article by J R Miller I was convinced I found it. I pray it will be just the challenge you need.

“We have come now to the last day of the year! For a whole year… we have been walking with Christ. Is there any better word with which to close this ..year, than this last invitation of Jesus, “Follow Me!” This is the true outcome of all learning of Christ. Mere knowledge, though it be of spiritual things, avails nothing–except as it leads us to follow Christ.

We have seen Jesus in all the different phases of His life. We have heard many of His words. Now it remains only for us to follow Him. The outcome of seeing and knowing Jesus–should be holy living and doing. The last day of the year suggests also the same duty.

Who is satisfied with his life as it appears in retrospect? The past, however blotted, must go as it is; we cannot change it, and we need not waste time in regretting. But the new year is before us, and if we would make that better than the stained past, it must be by following Christ more closely.

To follow Christ is to go where He leads–without questioning or murmuring. It may be to a life of trial, suffering, or sacrifice–but it does not matter; we have nothing whatever to do with the kind of life to which our Lord calls us. Our only simple duty is to obey and follow. We know that Jesus will lead us only in right paths, and that the way He takes slopes upward and ends at the feet of God!

The new year on which we are about to enter is unopened, and we know not what shall befall us; but if we follow Christ we need have no fear. So let us leave the old year with gratitude to God for its mercies, and with penitence for its failures and sins; and let us enter the new year with earnest resolve in Christ’s name to make it the holiest and most beautiful year we have ever lived.”