Half way through January already!!! How has your year been so far?????

It is a gift of God’s favour and grace that lying before us is another year. 

The coming year is a clean canvas that God puts in our hands and with His help we can paint a beautiful picture in the weeks and months ahead.

The Bible says that the Lord has numbered our days, but he has never revealed his calendar.  I don’t know the number of my days and you don’t know the number of your days.  But, this much I can tell you for sure, your number is less than it was yesterday.

Here is something else I know; when it comes to the number of your days, there is no negotiating, bartering, or borrowing. 

There are some things in life you just can’t borrow.  You can’t borrow somebody else’s relationship with Christ, you can’t borrow somebody else’s talents, you can’t borrow somebody else’s soul, and you can’t borrow someone else’s days. 

Your days have been numbered by God and you will not live one second beyond what God has appointed for you.  Your departure flight will not be delayed.  Your one and only life had a beginning and it will have an ending.  Your death certificate is as certain are your birth certificate.

You and I get only one shot at this thing called “life”.

If some of us were honest, we would have to admit that our lives have never been more full, but never less fulfilled. 

Our lives feel cluttered and confused.  We feel overloaded and overwhelmed. 

So, where do we start?  There is a passage of Scripture written by the apostle Paul that I believe might be a great passage to ponder as you move on through this .  It is found in Romans 13.

In verses 11 and12 Paul says “Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armour of right living, as those who live in the light.”                           Romans 13:11-12 (NLT)

Choose to live with a sense of priority and urgency

Maybe the most dangerous word in the English language is the word “someday”.  Many of us suffer from the “someday syndrome”.  Someday I’ll take that trip.  Someday I’ll have more time for the kids.  Someday I’ll talk to my friend about Jesus.    

In the coming weeks as we continue through January, make it…

More about today, less about tomorrow.

More about people, less about possessions.

More about God’s priorities, less about my plans.

More about the eternal, less about the temporal.

The clock is ticking.  You don’t get a second shot at today. It’s later than it has ever been.  So, let’s commit to living a “no regret year”.

Warm regards in Christ

David

Calvary Motherwell

Psalm 23:4 says “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Having faith in the darkest valley – during a global pandemic for example – is bold. It’s natural to feel fearful right now, but believers can have a bold faith and hope during a crisis because of who our God is.

He is never changing, even when our world does. (Malachi 3:6)

He is all-knowing, having knowledge of everything past, present and future. (Isaiah 46:9-10)

He is all-powerful, strong and able to do anything He wills. (Psalm 147:5; Romans 1:20)

He is faithful and always will be. (2 Timothy 2:13)

And He is so much more. He is beyond what we can conceive in our limited human minds. His purposes and promises are sure, even when we don’t understand them. Even when we aren’t sure where He is or what He’s doing.

As Charles Spurgeon said:

“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

Again, trusting God and having faith during a pandemic is a bold stance. But do you know what else is bold? Coming before the Almighty God of the universe in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 instructs us:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in the time of need.”

Come boldly to the God who is unchanging, always faithful and never caught by surprise. Keep your faith in Him and let the knowledge of who He is calm your fears.

Why not forward this to someone who needs encouragement today.

David

PS: We started a new series on Micah on Sunday and you can view this, plus our recent in-depth series on Jonah, on our YouTube channel – Calvary Motherwell. If fact, why don’t you subscribe to our YouTube channel and that way you’ll always be informed of the recent studies.

Micah: A Model for Ministry. Join us as we explore this power-packed adventure through this Minor Prophet with a Major Message

Due to the current restrictions, although we could do a live broadcast from church, we have decided to record a video message and put it on our normal channels viz., the church web site, our YouTube Channel and both our church Facebook pages (Calvary Christian Fellowship & Calvary Connect). Not our preferred method but we are committed to keeping everyone safe and it means that those who normally serve for a Live Broadcast – Rosemary, Alan and Jonathan – do not need to leave home or travel from one area to another.

Since this will be the situation for at least for the next few Sundays and until we can return to church as a congregation, we will put the 1 Peter study on hold and over the coming weeks have a look at the book of Micah and some of the practical and personal lessons that we can absorb into our lives as Christians.

We encourage you to join with us on Sundays and study with us through the book of Micah.

If you have questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Praying for you!

Warm regards in Christ,

David