January 1: The Unfolding Of A New Year<\/p>\n
As your days, so shall your strength be.
\n— Deut. 33:25<\/p><\/blockquote>\nChristian, consider this new epoch of time, unfold a new page of your yet unwritten history, with the full, unwavering conviction that God is faithful; that in all the negotiations, transactions, and events of the unknown future, in all the diversified and fluctuating phases of experience through which you may pass, it will be your mercy to do with Him of whom it is said, \u201cIt is impossible for God to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh, take this precious truth into your heart, and it will shed a warm sunlight over all the landscape of your yet shadowy existence. \u201cHe abides faithful: He cannot deny Himself.\u201d Standing yet within the solemn vestibule of this new and portentous year, could our fluttering hearts find repose in a more appropriate or sweeter truth than the Divine faithfulness of Him, \u201cwith whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning\u201d? As a new period of time slowly rises from the depths of the unknown and mysterious future, shrink we from its stern and solemn duties, its bosomed sorrows, its deep and impenetrable decrees? Why shrink we?<\/p>\n
Infinite resources unveil their treasures upon its threshold. Christ\u2019s atoning merits confront our vast demerit. Christ\u2019s boundless grace confronts our deep necessities. Christ\u2019s promised presence confronts our sad and gloomy loneliness. Jesus thus filled with grace so overflowing, with love so tender, with sympathy so exquisite, with power so illimitable, with resources so boundless, with a nature so changeless, stands before us and says to each trembling heart, \u201cFear not!\u201d We commence a new march under his convoy. We prepare for a new conflict with his armor. We renew our pilgrimage with fresh supplies of \u2018angels\u2019 food,\u2019 affording nourishment for the present and pledges for the future. For that future do not be needlessly, unbelievingly anxious. It is all in God\u2019s hands. He would that you should live each day upon Him as a little child\u2013simple in your faith, unshaken in your confidence, clinging in your love.<\/p>\n
Let each morning\u2019s petition be\u2013ever linking it with the precious name of Jesus\u2013\u201dMy Father! give me this day my daily bread.\u201d Then shall the promise be fulfilled, and its fulfillment shall be the immediate answer to your prayer\u2013\u201dAs your days so shall your strength be.\u201d<\/p>\n
And let us, on this birthday of the year, renew each his personal and solemn dedication to God; supplicating forgiveness for the past, and invoking grace to help in every time of need for the future. The atoning blood of Jesus! How solemn and how precious is it at this moment! Bathed in it afresh, we will more supremely, unreservedly, and submissively yield ourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead. We will travel to the open fountain, wash, and be clean. Christ loves us to come as we are. We may approach all clothed with shame for the past, but not a reproving look will dart from His eye, nor an upbraiding word will breathe from his lips.<\/p>\n
Nor shall abused and ill-requited mercies past seal our lips from supplicating blessings for the future. \u201cOpen your month wide, and I will fill it,\u201d is still the Divine promise and He who gave it has added a supplementary one, if possible, yet ampler and richer, \u201cCall unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you know not.\u201d<\/p>\n
— Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
January 1: The Unfolding Of A New Year As your days, so shall your strength be. — Deut. 33:25 Christian, consider this new epoch of time, unfold a new page of your yet unwritten history, with the full, unwavering conviction that God is faithful; that in all the negotiations, transactions, and events of the unknown…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"twitterCardType":"","cardImageID":0,"cardImage":"","cardTitle":"","cardDesc":"","cardImageAlt":"","cardPlayer":"","cardPlayerWidth":0,"cardPlayerHeight":0,"cardPlayerStream":"","cardPlayerCodec":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10062\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purposedriven.ca\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}