“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints, for the Lord preserves the faithful, but amply repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and He will strengthen your heart, all you who wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 31:23-24 Modern English Version)
In a book entitled “The Works of Maupassant,” there is a short story, “Miss Harriet.” Here is an excerpt from that story, “At the time I was twenty-five years old, and was making daubs along the coast of Normandy. I call ‘making daubs’ that wandering about, with a big bag on one’s back, from mountain to mountain, under the pretext of studying and of sketching nature. I know nothing more enjoyable than that happy-go-lucky wandering life, in which you are perfectly free, without shackles of any kind, without care, without pre-occupation, without thought even of tomorrow. You go in any direction you please, without any guide save your fancy, without any counselor, save your eyes.” “Miss Harriet” falls under the category of fiction. It’s a good literary work. But let us gain some help as tonight we will find ourselves wandering into the new year. It is quite different that the excerpt above for you and me, and it is based on extracts from a non-fiction work, whose author is God. Yes, God inspires all scripture.
With that on mind, let me describe how your wandering in the new year should look like. It is applicable for Christians at all ages but includes young people in their twenties. Don’t carry around “the book,” the Bible, with the pretext of studying. No, actually study the word as you wander into the new year and continue doing so in all the days that you are blessed to see. Do not live a “happy-go-lucky life,” lean not on your own understanding, but let the Lord direct your path in all your ways. Yes, let Him order your steps. While you are perfectly free; free from the penalty, power, and the presence of sin in the life to come, your freedom is different than the character’s freedom mentioned in the aforementioned story. You have come to know the truth and the truth has set you free. As you wander in the new year, do so knowing that the Lord has loosened your shackles. Be preoccupied, concerned about living for Jesus. And not being anxious for nothing, and not worrying about the future, live each day, “one day at a time,” trusting in the Lord. Wander into the new year, knowing that you have a guide, the word of God, and the presence of the Person, the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. Don’t go by your eyes. From the time when Adam and Eve, this has caused trouble and undesirable consequences. But keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. You should not go wandering in the new year worrying about the future but go into the new year committed to seeking ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Now, while I have your attention, let me encourage you to make your way to the house of the Lord this morning. God has something specific and special to say especially to you. Keep the Lord on your mind and let His will supersede your will on this New Year’s Eve Day. Be blessed!
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King