-January 1, 2023-
Good morning, happy Lord’s Day and New Year’s Day,
“You crown the year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.”
(Psalm 65:11).
Ready or not, the new year is upon us. We know that there will be challenges and blessings. No year is ever perfect since we are living in a broken, sinful world. We are confident that moving forward the Lord will be with us one day at a time. We are so blessed with God’s goodness and abundance.
• God’s Goodness – God is so good and His goodness is wonderful. God crowns our year with His goodness whether at the beginning, the middle, or the end of the year. We don’t know how 2023 will unfold, but we do know that He knows and will give us His sufficient grace. Whether in good times or bad, the Lord is always good. David wrote in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
• God’s abundance – My favorite blessing for my brothers and sisters in Christ on their birthday is, “May God richly and abundantly bless you.” God shows us His abundance in real and meaningful ways. In the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26, it says, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” What a great benediction and blessing for all of God’s people!
With the Lord with us, His Spirit within us, and His Word to guide and inspire us, we can certainly look forward to the new year. The hymn writer Frances Ridley Havergal wrote, “Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace; another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face; another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast; another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.”
May the Lord’s goodness and abundance by ours on this first day of 2023 and throughout the year. Stay safe and healthy.
Rejoicing in the new year,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 