A New Year is an opportunity to review the past, consider the present and ask the Lord to lead the way into the future! Some people dwell on the past and stay there, they keep looking back.
The Bible teaches us that we need to move on. Jesus on one occasion reminded his listeners of an event that we find recorded in the Old Testament. He said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” He was discussing how people were so preoccupied with the present and were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. God had instructed Lot with his family to leave Sodom and Gomorrah. They were told, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back.” The place where they were living was in a bad way and God was going to punish the cities and he wanted to rescue Lot and his family. As they went, Lot went ahead into the future but Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Sometimes it is not easy to move on and to leave the place where we have been. It takes trust in God to do this.
In Jeremiah 29:11 we find this, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”This is true for us and we need to learn to trust in God as He leads us into the future. For me 6 years ago this meant leaving the UK and coming to Canada. It was not an easy thing to do but I knew that God had plans for me here with Sandy, who is now my wife. It was not easy in the beginning and it was over a year before the Lord opened the way for me to work as a Chaplain here in Barrie. I am now personally assessing where the Lord is leading me as we begin the New Year. I am serving as pastor of First Baptist in Bracebridge as well as serving as a chaplain here in Barrie. Sandy and I are asking the Lord to lead us and to help us to make the decisions that are in keeping with God’s will for our lives as we step into 2012.
We all need to learn to press on and use the words of the Psalmist as a prayer,(Psalm 25: 4-5) “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.”
The apostle Paul says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” David said, “The Lord is my shepherd…He leads me... “May the God of peace, …, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(Heb 13:20,21)
My prayer is that all who read this will learn to look ahead trusting God and not be hindered by looking back and dwelling on what cannot be changed. It is something that we all struggle with but have to learn that God wants us to focus on Him and the future which is in His hands.
Sandy and I want to wish all of our friends A Happy and Blessed New Year.
Pastor Paul Wilkes (paulwilkes7@aol.com)
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