The New Year is here! The old is gone, lost forever in the passing of time. 2024 is just a memory. Some of those memories are what we call good memories, and some are what we would call bad memories. In every passing year, there are some events we long to hold onto and others we would rather forget. Yet, in every circumstance, we know that God is working all things for the good of those who love Him. 2025 will likely be the same when it comes to memories. Life has its ups and downs: high moments and moments of desperation. My encouragement as we enter this New Year is to take time to be thankful. Make this part of your daily routine. Thank God for things in your past and thank God for the things He will do in the future. Set aside a part of each day to Praise the Lord for all He is doing because thankfulness is linked to praise.
My family saw Daniel at Sight and Sound in Lancaster just before Christmas. One of the scenes that unfolded within the story of Daniel was the story of God causing Nebuchadnezzar to go mad and live like a wild animal. In this play, Daniel explains that God does this to Nebuchadnezzar to discipline him and draw this earthly king to the Lord. In Daniel 4:34, Nebuchadnezzar lifts his eyes to heaven and praises God as the Most High, the One who lives forever. For Nebuchadnezzar, thanksgiving was linked to praise. You may have hard memories from last year or face the prospect of tough times this year. I want you to know that in all circumstances, God is honored when your praise leads to thanksgiving.
Offering God daily paise won’t always be easy. I want to encourage you to let the Psalmist guide you. In Psalm 57:9-11 we read, “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”
As the people of God, we should be known for our thankfulness. We should have a gratitude in our attitude that is tangible, uplifting, and visible within our community. Of course, this won’t happen unless we take time to praise God for His work in the world, and it is us. As the calendar changes from 2024 to 2025, we each have an opportunity to spend time remembering His graces in our past so that we may trust His graces for our future. That’s what the Psalmist is pointing to as he reminds us that the steadfast love of the Lord is worthy of praise.
As a church this year, we must long to see God glorified in our lives and our community. Yes, we will pray for God’s glory to be over all the earth! But I also want us to ask God to reveal His glory to each of us individually. May we all be drawn to God in the high and the low moments. May each of us experience His love that reaches to the heavens and His faithfulness that reaches the clouds. And whether we are gathered together for corporate worship, riding in a car with family or friends, or sitting at home by ourselves, may our voices be filled with praise so that we are constantly thanking God.
~ Pastor Mike
