New Year Perspective

“… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Habakkuk 3:18-19

2017 started with my work computer deciding it had had enough and quit. As I sat at my desk grumbling about not being able to get the computer I wanted, not being able to plug in my second monitor and what a pain it is to set up a new computer, the Holy Spirit nudged my heart and changed my thoughts. My mind settled on some dear friends who had begun the new year with devastating health news and how in the midst of the terrible storm they were facing, they were still finding things to rejoice in and to praise the Lord for. 

For this week’s passage I return to one of my favorite Old Testament books and one of my favorite passages. In the verses leading up to this week’s passage the prophet Habakkuk rattles off a list of less than pleasant things – crop failures and the loss of livestock, we would recognize this as drought and famine. Even with a terrible life storm heading his way he too rejoices in the Lord and finds joy in the fact the God is God, and HE is enough.

I really have no way of knowing what the year holds for myself or any of you who may be reading this. I can say – there will be good stuff and probably not so good stuff in store for all of us. We can take comfort, like Habakkuk did in the fact that God is God, He is in control - when we feel like everything is out of control. We can rest assured that we are not alone, He is with us and He will bring people into our live to journey with us to the mountain tops and into the deepest, darkest valleys. 

Sometimes all that it takes is a fresh perspective to help us keep the small things small and to realize that in God’s hands even the really big and difficult stuff can be small too. So let’s rejoice and be joy filled, worshipping God because He is God and he can give us a New Year of new perspectives.

A Prayer
Father – as we gaze into this new year and wonder what it holds for us, give us fresh perspective. Remind us often of your presence with us in all the storms and celebrations of this life. Help us to see that in your hands everything we face is small, but Your love for us is huge. As we allow Your perspective to fill us with joy and Your light – help us to allow that to overflow into the lives of those around us who need to know you and the power of your love. In the name of Jesus, who gives us fresh perspective – Amen.