We thank God for seeing us safely through another year. I am sure you have many things to thank and praise God for. It could be for your health, your family, your achievements or perhaps your setbacks. Nevertheless, we can all agree that it is through God’s grace, goodness, mercy and faithfulness that we have safely lived through another year.
I am sure many of us have set goals and resolutions for the New Year. It may be growth in your spiritual life, a better career, fitness and health, better grades, growth in your income and reduced expenses, financial strength and independence. Many of you may have big dreams for the New Year. Regardless what your plans may be, may I strongly encourage you to commit all your plans to God.
Proverbs 3:5 exhorts us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
It is imperative that we commit our plans to God and submit to His will so that we can be successful with all our plans. We are reminded in Psalm 127:1 that “unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” Let us be mindful to have God in the equation in all your planning.
Our church has great plans for 2015 too. We will be separated into two congregations after our church 6th Anniversary in April 2015. We are reaching out to the residents in Bukit Batok with the gospel truth. We have committed these plans to the LORD for many weeks and months in our weekly prayer meetings. Now is time for us to put these plans into action. I am confident that God will grant us success as we have done our due diligence in planning, praying, ground surveying and in communicating the plans to the congregation. Above all, we have committed our plans to God and submitted to His will to harvest souls and further His kingdom for His glory.
In the same way with your personal plans, let us work hard, do our due diligence in planning and be disciplined in carrying out the plans. Let us commit our plans to God and God will direct our paths and grant us success.
Let us be disciplined and resolve in our heart to live a God honouring and God pleasing life. Let us stay away from sin and keep our lives clean and free from wilful sins and any form of evil so that God can use us and prosper the labour of our hands.
Let us be mindful to put God first and set our priorities right. Let us put God first in all our earthly endeavours and it is the promise of God that if we seek Him first and His kingdom, then all that we need (clothing, food and shelter), God will surely provide. This is the promise from God in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” May the year 2015 be another great year for you and for His work!