When this time of year finds us it is beneficial to take advantage of the once-a-year occurrence of living directly between a year that was and a year that will be. We should ponder the last twelve months and balance that out with some defining of our desires for the next twelve months if the Lord allows us to move forward for another full year. How would you define the past year? Do not merely say that it was a good year or a bad year; how would you define the year in terms of your walk with the Lord? He uses both what we consider good and what we call bad to bring us closer to Himself. Can we say that we approached Him more intimately in the last year or did we create/allow distance between ourselves and Him? There is sure benefit in addressing these issues and then allowing them to spring our thoughts forward to the upcoming year – what do we expect for 2014? Could it be that turnaround year that many wish for? Might it become the humbling year of which many proud hearts stand in great need? Some of us have been praying about specific issues a long time and our answers have not come/did not come. For some reading today, the deadline came and went without us receiving what we believed and asked for – will we continue to pray for other things or will we be discouraged by the reality of God’s delayed answers to us? Because our mind-sets powerfully impact our practical realities, here is a good verse for us to consider as we cross the threshold of one year into the next:
Deuteronomy 33:25 – “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” {KJV}
Most modern translations use a different rendering of the Hebrew text and render “thy shoes” as “your gates” or “your bars”. Both translations are permissible but I prefer the King James’ use of “thy shoes” in this verse. We are walking through life most of the time, not running, sprinting or jumping. There is not always the thrill of the race or the victory of our life-leaps. Most of life is spent in normal activity – waking, working, sleeping, responsibilities, etc. Our culture loathes the mundane and each generation feels more entitled to ease, excitement, leisure and entertainment than the generation before. But walking is not really exciting. The bible often defines the Christian life in terms of walking. For those of you who walk with God by faith we can receive the promise above: your walking shoes will be strong, much stronger than you think. Not worn down leather with decaying straps which give out under heat and pressure but, instead, shoes of iron and brass which both protect and endure. Yes, your steps may seem heavy at times but this is because you are not shod with perishable shoes. Those walking life-shoes are provided by God with heavy substance that will endure through sand and storm. How good and gracious of God to remind us that we will have what we need outwardly for the upcoming journey into a new year. He has promised you what you will need to walk throughout the upcoming year.
He also speaks of inward provision in the same verse. This promise is that we will be provided strength for each of the days that God allots us. The pattern of Scripture reveals that God prefers to give us daily strength as it is needed. I’m not sure that my frequent desire for six months of strength in advance is biblical. We might wonder if we want it all ahead of time because we have something more in common with the Prodigal Son than we realize. He didn’t want to wait on his father’s timing but requested in advance what was promised to him. When he received it early… he squandered it quickly and did not have what he needed in those last days before returning home. God is compassionate toward us and is committed to giving us the resources of strength at the time they are needed. How weary life becomes when we project our apparent lack of strength today upon what we assume we will need tomorrow. Worry sets in. Our anxiousness actually robs us of profitable use of today’s strength and sets us up for weariness the next day. Look at the promise again, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be”. We can be assured that we will have strength from God to move forward each day in the new year. Let us pray for one another that we will be “daily Christians” and not seek to live on borrowed or stored-up power. God wants us to come to Him daily to receive what He has promised us. We may ask Him for it if we desire but it has actually already been granted to us. Perhaps we should spend less time in eloquent, disciplined asking and more time in grateful, trusting receiving. He has promised that you will have strength for the day – wisdom will be there. Love will be there. Endurance will be there. Protection will be there. Hope will increase and faith will be strengthened. On some days you may sense that you have all that you need plus some extra. Other days you will be tempted to believe that you cannot make it another hour. Let us just take God at His word and boldly expect Him to live up to it.
All year you will have the strength that you need. By the way, that is why you have completed this past year and all years prior. He will continue to be true to His promise.
That is so true,it seems like life is getting faster and harder to keep up with it the things it brings,good or bad.That is very uplifting and gives us all the assurance that God will give us the strength to handle whatever life hands us.!