In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. What a marvelous statement to begin our introduction to God and the world we live in. What comfort that we are not an accident or a product of chance. How meaningful that in the beginning, God…
When our beginning started, God was already there. What a great reminder the infinite, everlasting God is the source of our existence. What great comfort that in our beginning, there existed a God who had no beginning.
The issue is not just that God was there, but He was not just a spectator. God had a plan and executed that plan according to His own purpose. The highly complex reality of our universe and world, often referred to as irreducible complexity in the apologetic world, does mean something. Our existence is the result of an all-powerful, creative, wise God who created us all in His image. Astounding!
Random chance could never accidentally create the complex reality of organisms or systems that exist in the universe. Only an intelligent being with unfathomable power could design and create all the sophisticated elements that make up life. From atoms to molecules, from the stars in the universe to humanity, all these things could simply never happen by accident.
As I step into the beginning of this new year, I am reminded that God was already here before I arrived. He goes before me because He is with me. He has a plan that includes my life and I have the privilege to walk with Him into this new year with the confidence that He is the engineer of the year in front of me.
The second reality, to modify the principle a little, that God has all kinds of plans to keep providing a context to keep on creating Christ in me. What I am referring to is not something new but the ongoing transformation of my life into the image of Christ. This is obviously the work of the Spirit of God in me, but God has many things He will use to assist that process.
He may use trials. Trials are helpful because they can produce endurance and endurance can make me perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-3). He can use people who speak into my life. They can be family, friends, or the people in our faith community. His Word has always been a powerful instrument in my life, and I am working to do another read through the Bible this year. I would love to reunite my heart with increasing memorizing His Word.
I believe my heavenly Father will also create new opportunities to serve Him and His people. The privilege that we all have is to serve and serve sacrificially. While even many Christians consider serving an inconvenience to their life and schedules, I want to become like Christ, a servant who is not ashamed of the investment into others. He has promised that our labor is not in vain regardless if others appreciate our labor of love and steps of faith to care for them.
As I begin this New Year, God is not only present, but He is working in me and every other person who is known by Him. Success for this New Year is not my investments, my ministry or how many followers I have on social platforms. Success is that I live with my heavenly Father with the confidence of the power of His presence with me and that He is still very much at work transforming my life, every day throughout the year.
Praise the Lord for stepping into a great year!
Pastor Brad
