How To Make The New Year Happy – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passage – Your Favorite Passage
(Second Milers also read – Proverbs 31)
Read the “1231 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:1-10)
Good New Year’s Eve morning. 2017 is upon us. New Year’s resolutions need to be made and hopefully kept. There are parties to go to. Food to be cooked. So many things to do. So much to think about the future, and plans to make. But if you want a happy New Year, you should review the old year. How far back did you slide spiritually? How much did you grow spiritually? Did you finish reading your Bible through at least once in 2016? How about this: did you keep all the New Year’s resolutions you made in 2015?
If you’re like me, you didn’t keep them. You failed miserably. But you now have a new year in which to fail or succeed. The most important thing to remember is what Jesus said…
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John15:5)
Do yo feel sometimes like these dry bones? Going nowhere? Gathering dust? Not accomplishing anything? Do you feel like these dry bones?Remember what Jesus told Martha, Lazarus’s’ sister?
“Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:23-27)
And Jesus is the living Word of God. That is why God told Ezekiel, the first thing he should say to those dry bones is, “Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.”
The very first thing you need to have a happy new year is Jesus. If you do not know 100% for sure you are going to Heaven when you die, you need to do as the Philippian jailer was told by Paul: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…”
The Bible will tell you…
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
If you are already saved, you need to hear the Word of the Lord. One of the proofs that you did hear is obedience. James said…
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:22-24)
If you want a happy new year, you need to be obedient to God’s Word. And remember Jesus said without Him you can do nothing. That includes being obedient. So all you really need for a happy new year is Jesus. And if you have Jesus in everything you do in 2017, you will have a happy new year.
Peace! And Happy New Years!
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.