By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
MONDAY
THEME:” INSTRUCT ME, O GOD, AS YOU LEAD!
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:3-6
“[3]Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, [4]And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. [5]Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6]In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
REFLECTIONS:
Happy and Prosperous New Year. Grace has done it again! Grace has ushered us into a new year. God’s grace has given us smiles and hope. Transitioning from the past year and entering 2024 is the work of God. The first day of the year is such a delight. It comes with freshness and a renewal of strength in God. It is one of the only few times when even unbelievers may perceive what grace has done. To God be the glory for this day. We pray that we allow God to lead, and we patiently follow.
Instructions for life must always be cherished because they serve as a guide into an unknown future. There is so much futility along the way into the future; therefore, a Guide is indispensable. Solomon said all is vanity and a chasing of the wind – he was right, especially if God is not the center of your focus. Any life minus Jesus Christ is wasteful, hopeless, and pointless. Beloved, living even for 100 years without achieving God’s purpose of eternal life for you must be punishable. A life not well-lived must not be remembered at all.
Therefore, in the New Year, you need to take counsel from Solomon to spice your year and guide your journey through the twelve months ahead. You must live out mercy and truth to be relevant, victorious, happy, fulfilled, and heaven-bound. Proverbs 3:3 reads, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” – Great counsel! Let mercy come alive in your life. Be also known and recognized by the truth. Your life must demonstrate mercy and your connection with Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6). The prophet states in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” If you heed this counsel, your year will be satisfying and worth living. Your success and faithfulness this year will depend, among others, on acting with mercy and demonstrating truth.
Your greatest need for the year is to have God’s favor and that of man. When you show mercy and truth, you will “. . . find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.” – Proverbs 3:4. This is very critical because while on earth, Jesus grew in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). To survive in this life, you need the favor of God and man. But once you have the favor of God, you are gone – you will excel to the point that your enemies will even love you and show you favor. Beloved, let God lead you this year. Proverbs 3:5 counsels, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;” Trusting the Lord results in having His favor. The pitfall you need to avoid from this day is not to lean on your own understanding. Seek knowledge and wisdom from God. It will help you to make the right decision promptly. You have the promise in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” May you walk daily in Christ. May the mercy of God lead you as you also show mercy, and may you be guided by the Truth as you live an impeccable life of truth and Christlikeness.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 524 – “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for a new day and a new year; thank God for keeping you alive to be part of 2024; pray for God to lead you in all 366 days of this year;
– Pray for all your loved ones and family and wish them God’s blessings for the year; pray for those who are terminally ill; pray for those who, for their circumstances, cannot even appreciate this day;
– Pray for Christians to live out mercy and truth; pray for anyone who showed you love in the past year; pray for a change of heart for those who mistreated you last year;
– Pray for the nation to enjoy the peace of God; pray for judicious use of resources God has blessed the country with; pray that the year 2024 will bring more people to Christ.
