Happy New Year!

The year started with a bang…like most other years. No gradual ‘easing in’ into things and very little time for a chat with colleagues over a coffee. It’s run-run-run! Just a few days back at office, the same cares and worries try to overwhelm me that I left behind before the Christmas break. Really?

Is this really what God expects from me? Run-run-run? I don’t think so. Am I driven or called? Often I feel I am called to be driven and that is not from God. I have been reflecting on this for some time now and I think Oswald Chambers says it best:

“Many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat.22:14) That is, few prove that they are the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear “the voice of the Lord” continually asking …”who will go for Us?”.
My Utmost for His Highest Jan 14.

The question I had to ask myself again over the Christmas break was – what is driving me? Is it fear? Fear about what the future might hold for our country? our businesses? the darkness that might lie ahead? my family, my friends? my health? my finances? the list goes on.

And as I lay my fears at the feet of the Cross, God through His grace encouraged me to trust Him, put my fears aside and amongst all the challenges and look to Him and Him alone in the year ahead.

Ps 91:4-6 “He will shield you with His wings! Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day…nor disasters in the morning”
Life Application Bible – Living Bible text)

In your dark hours, when human help fails, keep very close to the man of Sorrows.
God Calling Dec 4.

And while I asked God for a verse to sustain me in the year ahead, as He has done in the years gone by, He confirmed through various ways that as I lift up my eyes to the hills at the start of  this year, wondering where my help will come from, I must remember that “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber. V 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”
Ps 121:2-7 NIV

He will be doing a brand new thing, don’t you see it? He has already begun.
Is. 43:19

Let me put more time aside to ask for and listen to God’s voice. It’s going to take discipline not to go to bed late and get up early to spend quality time with Jesus. Then my spiritual condition will change and my ears will be opened to His word and His plan for my life will become clearer for the year ahead.

Dear reader, I would like to invite you to join me early mornings, wherever you might be, in fellowship with Jesus, as our “help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”. Come, let us pray not only for ourselves, but for our country and one another … for His will to be done.

Nico’s latest book VISION – Dare to dream…BIG! is now available in Kindle format at Amazon or hard copies are available in South Africa and Namibia at any Ear Institute.

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