Ezr 7:28 By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the LORD my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me." We are at the end of another year. Tonight at midnight, all over the world, people will go crazy, fireworks, noise, clapping of hands, wishing one another well. Investing a lot of hope in the New Year and all it might bring.
Many will forget that they will wake up on the 1st of January, still looking the same, the bank over draught still in place, the kids still unruly, the car still in need of a service and the bond still needing payment.
My prayer for each one is taken from Ezra 7.
I pray that in this year, God will shine His face upon you and smile upon you and bless you with favour.
That your testimony will be like Ezra`s: that God has given you courage to face the world, the issues and everything else that life might throw at you in 2011. That by His Grace, you will have found favour in all your righteous dealings, the business world, your peers and your family. Most of all that your testimony would persuade people to join you in searching and finding His immeasurable Grace and that through you they might turn and follow Christ our Redeemer.
In our ministry, 2011 will not be a year of slogans and war cries, empty sayings and weightless promises. No. 2011 will be the year of action. Love God, Love people, Serve the people.
The church is called to be the hands of Christ. We need to be out there, spreading the Gospel, not in word only, but by doing. By getting down and dirty where it matters. Helping and feeding the poor, giving support to the lonely, directing the wealth of the Kings to the pantries of the needy, showing those in the gutters of life how to find the way out.
Perhaps 2011 is the Year of the Lord. The only way to find out is to be out there, busy with His work.
From myself and my family and our congregation to each and everyone out there: Num 6:24 May the LORD bless you and take care of you; 25 May the LORD be kind and gracious to you; 26 May the LORD look on you with favor and give you peace.
“The winds of grace are always blowing, but it is you that must raise your sails”. --Rabindranath Tagore
No comments:
Post a Comment