In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Gen 1:1                                                                                                                                                                          

A new year begins with new possibilities, new challenges, and new experiences awaiting us. As God created the heavens and the earth, so God also creates each new year. How will we face this year? Will we look at it with fear and trembling, or will we approach it with excitement and eagerness? The writer of Proverbs 19:21 said “The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”  Many calendars include a one-page planner, a 12-month calendar on which to record appointments, functions, conferences, important dates, and reminders. Having filled in our planners, we may experience a sense of satisfaction and security because we have successfully planned the year ahead. However, God’s guidance rarely comes to us all at once. Consider Mary and Joseph. God didn’t lay out a year’s program so that they could fill in their calendars. God simply told them what their next step should be. God’s direction comes to us for only one space on our calendar, the space corresponding to today’s date. Therefore we need to live our faith, obeying God today, and seeking God’s direction for our daily steps. With this perspective, we can face whatever comes into our lives with confidence and hope in the promise that God is with us all the way.