Only God can meet your needs. You may be very capable. But if you do not have good health, it would be difficult for you to keep a job. You may be very intelligent. But if you are physically unwell during the examination period, your hard work in the past year would be wasted. My point is: many of these needs are like birds perched on a tree. They could fly away anytime. Only the all-powerful God can ensure our needs are met. We need God to bless us if we are going to do well in life. The Bible rightly says, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15). And again, “unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Hence, if your new year is to be a good and fruitful year, you must ensure God will bless you. But as much as the Lord desires to bless us, the Lord does not bless everyone. Whom does God bless?
The great apostle Paul writes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). God blesses only those who are “in Christ.” Your life must be united to Christ.
Dear friend, you need Jesus. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour into your life, an amazing thing happens. What happened to Jesus happens to you. You are united with Christ. First, you die with Christ on the cross. The power of sin and its destructive consequences—sinful habits, meaningless life, Satan’s control of your life—are removed. Second, just as Jesus was raised from the dead, you too will be raised from the dead. You receive resurrection life. You will experience this new and powerful life today. Godly thinking and habits form in your life. Peace and joy come. You receive strength to live life. When Jesus returns, you will receive a resurrection physical body that will never sin, fall sick or die. Dear friend, you need Jesus because life is filled with sufferings. Only Jesus can give you true joy and peace and strength. You need Jesus because one day you must die and leave this world. Jesus can give you eternal life and heaven. You do not need to pay a single cent to believe in Jesus. Yet you get every blessing: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—how will he not, also along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Dear Christian, you must be united with Christ daily. Walk close with your Saviour. Put Jesus first in your life. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). We often live life by fighting. We are afraid that we would miss out good things if we do not struggle and fight. Yes, we must work hard and do our best. But we only have 24 hours. Our abilities can only do so much. Does that mean we will lose out? Of course not. Jesus assures us: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). How do we live life? Prioritise your time: there must be time for God, for your studies and job, for rest and recreation, for your family and friends. Because we only have 24 hours a day, there will be things in life that will be left unfinished and imperfect. This does not mean we will lose out in life. Rather, the psalmist says, “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup, you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:5-6). God will ensure you get the best when you trust him and put him first in your life.