New Year, New Experiences, New Life!
It’s a new year. The last days, hours, and minutes of 2016 have faded away into eternity. We are now at the beginning of a new year—2017. I’m still asking myself, “Where has the time gone?” Now we are faced with another set of 365 24-hour periods, each with their own challenges, trials, and blessings. And the opportunity comes to each one of us to use this precious gift of time to the glory of God.
At the end of 2015, I was thinking of what my New Year’s Resolution should be for 2016. I decided to commit to spending more time with God each day. God directed me to a Bible reading plan offered by the Amazing Facts media ministry (amazingfacts.org). It was an intense plan—four passages to be read each day for 25 days of each month—all with the objective of reading through the entire Bible in one year. So I broke it up and read two passages each morning, and two passages each evening. With some Bible dry markers, I marked and highlighted my Bible, which helped me better understand what I was reading.
Day by day, month by month, I grew closer and closer to God. I learned to recognize the voice of His Spirit speaking to me at different points throughout the day. My love for Jesus grew as I saw His character revealed in Scripture. Also, there were days when the passages I read dealt exactly with what I was facing that day. Sometimes I received rebuke from God’s Word as I was convicted of certain things in my life that were not in keeping with the principles of Scripture. As I spent time in the study of God’s Word, I also experienced improvement in my prayer life. And if there was even one day when I missed my time with God in the morning, I greatly sensed the lack of spiritual power in my life.
After this amazing year of discovery in God’s Word, I have come to an even greater realization of the importance of a consistent devotional life. I can relate with Job, who said, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Spending time with God in prayer and the study of His Word is extremely crucial and necessary in order for His will to be fulfilled in our lives. So this new year, I challenge you to draw closer to Jesus, to develop a closer relationship with Him through prayer and the study of His Word. Set time aside each day, even if it is just in the morning. If it means waking up earlier or setting certain goals to safeguard your time with God, by all means do it! Discover the joy of a close relationship with your Creator and Redeemer in 2017!
At the end of 2015, I was thinking of what my New Year’s Resolution should be for 2016. I decided to commit to spending more time with God each day. God directed me to a Bible reading plan offered by the Amazing Facts media ministry (amazingfacts.org). It was an intense plan—four passages to be read each day for 25 days of each month—all with the objective of reading through the entire Bible in one year. So I broke it up and read two passages each morning, and two passages each evening. With some Bible dry markers, I marked and highlighted my Bible, which helped me better understand what I was reading.
Day by day, month by month, I grew closer and closer to God. I learned to recognize the voice of His Spirit speaking to me at different points throughout the day. My love for Jesus grew as I saw His character revealed in Scripture. Also, there were days when the passages I read dealt exactly with what I was facing that day. Sometimes I received rebuke from God’s Word as I was convicted of certain things in my life that were not in keeping with the principles of Scripture. As I spent time in the study of God’s Word, I also experienced improvement in my prayer life. And if there was even one day when I missed my time with God in the morning, I greatly sensed the lack of spiritual power in my life.
After this amazing year of discovery in God’s Word, I have come to an even greater realization of the importance of a consistent devotional life. I can relate with Job, who said, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Spending time with God in prayer and the study of His Word is extremely crucial and necessary in order for His will to be fulfilled in our lives. So this new year, I challenge you to draw closer to Jesus, to develop a closer relationship with Him through prayer and the study of His Word. Set time aside each day, even if it is just in the morning. If it means waking up earlier or setting certain goals to safeguard your time with God, by all means do it! Discover the joy of a close relationship with your Creator and Redeemer in 2017!
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