RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THANKS AND PRAISE

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What is your new year’s tradition? What are you doing as the seconds tick off until that moment when one year ends and a new one commences?

Typically, my wife and I are spending that time quietly together, toasting as the new year begins with a couple of plastic faux champagne glasses filled with non-alcoholic cider as neither of us drink alcohol. We exchange a kiss and would make a call to our parents to wish them a Happy New Year. Then it would be off to bed to rest before enjoying the New Year’s Day holiday.

Maybe you have your own traditions. Some people like to go and stay at a hotel which offers a nice New Year’s Eve package to include a party where people can dance and bring in the new year together. Typically there are party favors abounding to add to the festivities.

If you’re really brave, maybe you will go to New York City and watch the infamous ball drop. I did this once and it was an amazing experience, although one I wouldn’t want to do again. Too many people, a throng of humanity actually, wedged into a small area where there was open drinking and a lot of pushing and shoving. And call me a wimp but I’m not one for cold temperatures and it was cold that night as I stood with the masses. I am much more comfortable bringing in the new year with the one I love in a warm house, watching all the people standing where I once was freezing themselves.

Did you notice what was missing in these examples? Did I mention God anywhere?

Indeed, we get so caught up in time, with seconds counting down until a new year begins, that we tend to forget about the One who gave us that time. Perhaps we could have a change of heart this New Year’s Eve and ring in the new year with our thoughts focused on the Lord – and we could use the closing verses of the 100th Psalm to give us guidance as to how to go about it:

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

You see, as the seconds tick down, maybe we should be preparing our hearts to enter into the gates and courts of the Lord instead of a party, or into a massive crowd watching a ball drop, or even sitting quietly at home getting ready to toast. And instead of raising our hearts in jubilation to the coming of a new year, exclaiming, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”, we should instead be giving thanks and praising the Lord for His goodness and His love and His faithfulness that has endured for every year since the dawn of creation and across every generation.

And the good news is that He always will.

Friends, maybe this year instead of singing the words to “Auld Lang Syne” to enter into the new year, we could instead sing these words written by one of the best Christian music artists of this generation, Chris Tomlin, entering into the gates and courts of the Lord in the new year, praising Him and giving thanks for all He has done while looking forward to all He is yet to do in the days to come.

Give thanks to the Lord our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that's been reborn
His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever

From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
By the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ExLgyjgiyc

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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