Rev. Richard Smith
January 3, 2022
| Joshua 1:7-9 (God To Joshua) ‘Be strong and very courageous…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ |
Last year on January 4, 2021, I wrote this as the opening words of my first devotional reflection for that New Year:
So much of 2020 lingers significantly into 2021…the pandemic, the economic challenges, and the cultural divisions. Yes, there are vaccines, but there are also, again, lingering challenges.
Pretty amazing, don’t you think? That my opening thoughts for 2021 can simply be replayed word-for-word here on January 3, 2022. One might, if one were prone, simply enter this new year with a blasé, “Same ole’, same ole”.
I think, however, we persons of deep spiritual leanings understand that there’s a different mindset for entering this new year. It’s the perspective that leaning upon God and connecting with one another in opportunities for good can facilitate a different outcome.
Minnie Louise Haskins spoke an inspiring reminder of what it means to lean into God when she wrote:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied,
‘Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!’
How do we put our hands into the hand of God?…through worship, through prayer, through scripture study, and through intentional reflection. These spiritual disciplines are regular conduits for receiving the hope and wisdom we need to keep our emotional heads above water. Each is an anchor of God’s promised Presence.
And then, as we connect with those who like us believe God wants us to step up our efforts for a better world, we find a needed camaraderie. It’s amazing the good which can be done when folks of like heart and mind get together and work diligently and cooperatively. As I mentioned on December 20, there are no shortages of community groups already seeking to transform beleaguered situations and troubled lives. So, we steadily commit ourselves to be a part of the solutions and not just bemoaners of pain and difficulty. We can make a difference! We can be vessels of transformation! Whether through financial contributions or volunteer hours or prayer undergirding, we each can be one whom God uses to bring much good!
With you, I plan to complain less and work more; bemoan less and rejoice with opportunities more; critique less and celebrate more. So, with a smile on our face and unwavering conviction of what God can do and what He can do through us, let’s stand firm and joyful!
