“Look unto Me….“. – Isaiah 45:22

A New Year’s morning opens upon us, and we are still exposed to sorrow, Satan, and disappointment; sin lives in us; and a thousand things are ready to distress us; but our God says, “LOOK UNTO ME.”

Look unto Me as the source of happiness, the giver of grace, and your Friend. Look unto Me in every trial, for all you want, and in every place. Look unto Me TODAY, I have blessings to bestow. I am waiting to be gracious. I am your Father in Jesus.

Believe that I am deeply interested in your present and eternal welfare; that all I have promised, I will perform; that I am with you, purposely to bless you. I cannot be unconcerned about anything that affects you; and I pledge Myself to make all things work together for your good. You have looked to self, to others, in times past; but you have only met with trouble and disappointment; now look unto Me ALONE, to Me FOR ALL.

Lift up the eye and the heart to Me today, and every day throughout the year; and walk before Me in peace and holiness.

Prove Me hereby, if I will not thus make you holy, useful, and happy; try Me, and find My word of promise true; true to the very letter.

Look to Him, till His mighty love
Thy every thought control;
Its vast, constraining influence prove,
O’er body, spirit, soul. –James Smith

“….He saith unto him: Follow Me!“ John 21:19

We have now come to the last day of the year and many things have changed. However, when it comes to responsibility nothing has changed. Our duty for the new year is exactly the same as it was for the old year. In light of this J. R. Miller wrote:

“Is there any better word with which to close— the 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.”

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever!” Hebrews 13:8

In 1895 J. R. Miller wrote the following in his “Year Book”. What he said then needs to be given much consideration now. After all, with all the changes that have taken place, Jesus Christ is “the same“. And it is due to this one constant that we are able to find comfort and courage regardless of the circumstances.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour : yet what I shall choose I wot not.  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ; which is far better:  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.“ –Phil. 1:21-24

Paul, and anyone else who knows what the Bible teaches, prefers heaven over earth. For the Christian “to die is gain” because heaven with Christ “is far better”. It’s no contest! However, those who care about people who are lost, and God’s plan, are willing to wait and work until God is through with them. But, being in the flesh often leads to weariness—work weariness and world weariness,etc.

I know what hard physical labor is–been there done that. I know what it is to be weary from work, and I can tell you that it is actually a good kind of weariness. You feel good about yourself– that you’re no afraid of hard work, you sleep better, and your over all health tends to be better. But there is another kind of weariness that isn’t so beneficial. I’m talking about being world weary– fed up with the ways of the world. It is a weariness that weighs you down and wears you out.

As a boy I never really understood why my mother was always singing “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through”–that seemed crazy to me, but I understand now. Christians are pilgrims and strangers in the world and we cannot feel at home. As Jesus said, we are in the world, but not of the world. And, considering our weakness, it is only natural that we grow weary.

As a boy I thought exploring the world and seeing all the sights would be great. But, the longer I live and the more I see, the more I realize that this world has nothing of eternal value, nothing that satisfies the longing of the soul. Could we just be left alone with family and friends it would be better, although not perfect. But we live in a sinful and hostile environment. Everyday we are confronted with things that grieve our hearts. We are grieved because we know it could and should be better. Our compassion causes us to care. If we had no concern there would be no grief,—but neither would there be any goodness. So when we see crime in the streets, corruption in the Whitehouse, craziness in Ferguson, collapsing morals, conflict around the world, and complacency in the churches we get weary—world weary. To say, “I’m fed up with the world” is an understatement! But to quit is not an option. Love for God compels us to press on.

Since weariness can be dangerous, it is crucial that we realize what the remedy is. Fortunately God has revealed that to us. It is described in Heb. 12:1-3, and summed up like this–“looking unto Jesus“. Our holiness, happiness, helpfulness, and hope depends on this. If we faint we fall, and if we fall we fail. It is only by keeping our focus on Christ that we can remain faithful. If we succeed it is against all odds and only because the Lord is our Helper. Without Him we could do nothing. Because of Him we are able to press on, encouraged by the fact that He will say,”Well done”.

Christmas can be a blessing in a lot of ways. One of the greatest things is being reminded of the love, power, and faithfulness of God. We all stand in need of encouragement and nothing is more encouraging than being reminded of God’s grace and greatness. So while Christmas is still fresh on your mind I want to mention some things related to it that will encourage you through out the year. The same One who—
— used Mary as a vessel to accomplish His purpose will use you as a vessel fit for the Master’s use.
— comforted Joseph when he was troubled will comfort you when you are frightened and confused.
— enlightened the shepherds will give you knowledge and wisdom
— guided the wise men will direct your steps through out the journey of life.
— arranged and ordered all the events so that Jesus came at the perfect time in history, will cause all things to work together for good in your life.
— sent the angels to declare the Savior’s birth has assigned angels to watch over you.
— used Isaiah to announce the Savior’s coming will use you to tell others that He has come.
— kept His promises related to Christ’s coming will faithfully fulfill all the promises He has made concerning you.
— sent the Lamb of God will save all those who trust in His shed blood.

The list could go on and on, but you get the picture. The reality of Christmas gives us comfort, confidence, and courage to face the challenges of life. We don’t know what we might be forced to face in the year ahead, but we have plenty of proof that our God is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”(Eph. 3:20).