Trusting God this New Year

As we embark on a new year and decade, it is a reminder to each of us reflect on the past year and decade or in my case the last two decades.  20 years ago Marcia and I trusted God in bringing us together.  On the Brooklyn Bridge, January 1, 2000, I kissed my then girlfriend now wife for the first time.  Remember, this was the year of Y2K where the whole world was going to go dark thanks to a computer glitch. 

The 2000's have brought in some major changes in our life with children and a move to a new city.  In an act of faith towards God Jesus took us from NYC to a small suburb of Houston called Katy, TX to raise our family in a city we have never been too.  We came here sight unseen, no job or income, but only an apartment we rented with no furniture.  In fact, we moved a week after Hurricane Katrina.  

At first, it was hard.  Marcia was not sure why God moved us to Katy, TX.  As time progressed, it was evident that the Lord brought us here.  Katy is an amazing place to live and raise a family with conservative Christian values.  We got here as fast as we could thanks to trusting God and Jesus that they had the right place for us to live and raise our family.  God opened up every door for a new job, promotion, salary increase, as well as in meeting people that could help direct my path or in me helping them with theirs.  

2020 will be no different than the past 20 years.  Matthew 6 and 7 is a reminder how we are to live as Christians every day and year moving forward  We are to 

1.  Give

2.  Pray

3. Fast

4.  Trust God to provide for our needs not our riches, 

5.  We are to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness for today only.  Tomorrow is not promised and is evil thereof.  

6.  Judge only when you have looked at the sin in your life and made the right corrections

7.  We are to produce God fruit by seeking God and doing his will for our lives.    

This brings me to my New Years point.  Many people start the New Year with some sort of resolution.  I have never made a New Years resolution.  It is true.  Most New Years resolutions are around physical exercise as a person starts to work out, run, or do some form of exercise. Timothy wrote an interesting set of verses which has me wondering if He did this during a New Years festival.  He writes in 1 Timothy 4: "7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.  8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  Pretty self explanatory.  

One of the other New Years resolution is usually around our jobs as many of us get promotions, raises, and some even start new jobs.  I caution each of you reading this to really consider who do you seek your guidance from.  What do I mean?  Many of you maybe disappointed in your raise, not getting the promotion or your career path and have decided to take action on your own or even asking your boss about it.  

I am talking solely to Christians, why would you even question this?  Does not God number your steps?  Does not God open and close doors?  Does not God provide enough for your family to be filled and clothe?  I have seen Christians ask their boss about their career path.  It is true.  I am dumbfounded to see it.  Your boss has nothing to do with your career path.  Well, I have another job offer or people are calling me and want to know what is my path at this company.  Really, that is your question.  Does not God know your path?  News flash, God does.  If you have to ask your boss, you have lost God.  Let this warning be a thorn in your side.  Trusting God is not just a thought, it is an action.  It is His will for our lives, not ours.  

Ok Don, where does it say this in scripture.  James tell us this, we are to exercise our faith unto God and Jesus.  We are to meditate upon things of the Lord.  Every year our resolution should be to put our Trust in God. James is my favorite New Testament book.  My hope is each of you take Jesus up on his offer, to draw closer to Jesus and he will draw closer to you (James 4:8).  James continues in James 4:13-17 as he repeats what Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:25-34.  We are to live for today and not even consider tomorrow.  

Matthew 6:27 "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"  This is a gentle reminder, only Jesus can add unto us through His will and plan for our lives.  James 4:15 "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."  That is our New Years resolution, to do the Lord's will.  Here is a toast to Trusting God this and ever year.