A Brief Meditation for the Month
January 2022
In the wisdom of the book of Proverbs, we read words that convey an irrefutable truth to us at the commencement of another year. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth,” Proverbs 27:1. None of us knows what this day has in store for us, never mind this year. This uncertainty does, for some people, cause anxiety and even distress to the point of impotence. Fear of what might happen, yet may never materialize, causes dark clouds to hang over their outlook on just about everything. While some of us may feel we can cope with the affairs of life better than others, few of us can expect to go through this life free from difficulties and problems. Because of sin in the experience of all the members of fallen humanity, which has brought and wrought so much misery upon our society, we are all liable to meet with situations we would rather avoid or naturally escape. However, life being what it is, there are times when there is simply no escape route open to us: we just have to meet the challenge of the hour.
As we enter this new year with all its uncertainties and perplexities, we all may expect to meet with personal difficulties. We may encounter unexpected testing situations or be confronted with unforeseen challenges. We may have to deal with difficult people and perhaps have to manage sensitive relationships diplomatically. All these, in addition to a multitude of other minor but irritating problems. However godly we may endeavour to live amidst the turmoil of life, we cannot escape from reality. Problems and difficulties await the children of God in the ensuing year, as with everyone else in our society. However, the child of God has the assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28. Things that appear to us so mysterious and void of reason or explanation are included in the “all things” that work together because they fit perfectly into the good and wise purpose of God, who knows what is best for his dear children. With such a fortifying understanding of God’s goodness, the child of God can say by a living faith in all circumstances—“thy will be done.”
Our Saviour carried a burden we are incapable of weighing. He penetrated depths of suffering we can never measure and experienced sorrow beyond our capacity to begin to understand. Yet, for the sake of his dear people, he said, as he looked at what lay before him, in the agony of the most profound sorrow, “nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt,” Mark 14:33–36. God’s children are directed to run the race of life, with all that it has in store for them, patiently, “looking unto Jesus…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,” Hebrews 12:1–2. I’m sure we will all witness disturbing and perhaps frightening occurrences in the year before us, in the will of the Lord, whether they be in our own experience or that of others. Still, it will be our wisdom to keep our eyes fixed firmly upon our Saviour. His grace will be sufficient, not more than needed, but consistently enough, to carry his children, whom he loves with an everlasting love, through every possible scenario. According to the testimony of David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, he said that before he would look out at his surroundings and what potentially confronted him, he would “look up” with the prayer, “Lead me, O Lord,” Psalm 5:3,8. The children of God are not to fret themselves, Psalm 37:1&7, but to look up day by day to the Saviour who loves them and gave himself for them. Dear believer, this look will change your perspective on everything.
G. G. Hutton.