28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. – Genesis 1:28-30
Out with the old…
“Out with the old, in with the new.” Once again it is time to turn over the calendar. Not just from one old month to a new one, but from one year past to another just beginning.
Each new year brings fresh hope. For many, each new year entails new resolutions. This is the year we will finally lose weight! This is the year we will finally address that home project we have been putting off. After all, sooner or later that roof is going to leak.
Maybe this is the year to work on that strained relationship. Do you really want to keep kicking the can down the road when a little sacrifice and forgiveness could be the seeds of reconciliation and peace?
As we step into the New Year with all of its promises, we say goodbye to the old and all of its memories. Most notably, memories of loved ones left behind. Those who will not turn the calendar into a New Year and share the future with us.
But despite their absences, time moves on.
Eternal Truths
I don’t know what, if any, resolutions you may have made for the New Year, but I do hope you have committed to making a journey through your Bible part of your plans for the New Year. If not, I would like to challenge you to dust off your Bible and open it up and allow God to “accompany” you as you walk through 2019.
While each year is a mystery waiting to unfold, some things are a given. The path will not always be smooth. Nor will it always be well lit. For every day of sunshine, there will be an allotment of storms. Some severe.
When the way is dark, God’s Word will illumine our path (Psalm 119:105). When the tempest rages, God’s Word can still the storm (Mark 4:39).
As we encounter the trials and temptations that are sure to confront us in the New Year, we can take comfort in the fact that the truth of God’s Word will enable us to persevere along the way.
In the beginning…
We are all familiar with the opening words of Genesis. The first chapter of the Bible tells us that during the first six days of the earth’s history, God was “busy” creating.
As you begin your journey reading through the Bible, you will notice the multiple times the words “And God said” are recorded in Genesis Chapter one.
3 And God said, “Let there be light…”
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse…”
9 And God said, “Let the waters…”
For six days of creation, God spoke into being a material world. With each “God said” there was obedience. What God commanded came into being. From nothing.
God’s Words brought life, order, and light to an earth that Genesis described as “without form, void, and with darkness over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).
We would be wise to obey His Words.
Beasts
When God created man on the sixth day, He blessed them and gave them dominion over the rest of creation, including every creeping thing that creeps on the earth (Genesis 1:26, 28).
I am not sure what form Satan had before he was cursed to go on his belly and eat dust (Genesis 3:14), but I have to believe he was one of the beasts that Adam and Eve were supposed to subdue and have dominion over. But they did not.
Genesis chapter three verse one tells us that Satan was “more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.” Crafty enough to get Adam and Eve to be the first to disobey the spoken Word of God. And they would certainly not be his last prey.
Since the serpent first deceived Adam and Eve to doubt the veracity or integrity of God’s Word, the battle has never ended. Because Adam and Eve did not subdue every beast, Satan’s “victory” ushered in a lifelong battle with sin. Accordingly, we would be wise to heed God’s words to Cain.
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7
Promises
All of this brings us back to the importance of being in the Word of God every day. Satan, the beast we are to subdue is a roaring lion, seeking to devour us. Like he did with Adam and Eve, he wants us to doubt the integrity of God’s Word. Better yet, he wants us to ignore it.
Don’t succumb to Satan’s lies this year, rather embrace the promises of God.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2
…in with the new
Obviously, the above are just a few of the many promises God has spoken to comfort His children. As you can see I only quoted a few promises out of the Old Testament. Hopefully, this is enough to encourage you to consider reading through your Bible this year if you do not already intend to do so.
God has “made the effort” to speak to us. Satan has resolved to keep us away from God’s Word. Won’t you honor your Creator by reading His love letter to you? Won’t you bring Him glory by believing it?
Satan is slithering in the Garden. Sin is crouching at the door. May we have the wisdom to read and appropriate God’s Word so we can resist and rule over the enemy of our souls. As you read the Bible this year, you might want to make a list of truths you can stand on in the midst of the world’s lies.
The next time we turn the calendar over from one year to another we don’t know what loved ones we will “leave behind”, but one of these years it will be us. Thank God that based on His inerrant Word, we can know that eternity is secure.
As you walk with God each day in His word enjoy the journey.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. – 1 John 5:13-15