A New Year

II Corinthians 5:17b "...old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

An old year is passing away. A new year is coming. A blank slate that hasn't been written on. But what will we write on this blank slate? For some, it may be a completely new phase of life. Marriage? College? Moving? Leaving the familiar behind, and heading out into the unknown?

Or will it be more familiar? Continuing to stay at home, continuing in the same job, continuing with school, just keeping on keeping on? That's where some of the greatest blessing lie. Continuing to be strong. Continuing to serve. It's a good time to renew your committment to the good, and to cut loose from those things that are hindering you.

Whether this year holds great changes for you, or more of the same, it's still a precious opportunity. A year to be faithful. Another year to live. Some have not been given this chance. We have been. May we make the most of it.

God bless you in this new year, as you seek to follow.

An ending:

And a beginning:

Merry Christmas!

Our salvation began as a Baby in a manger.  Immanuel, God with us.

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Savior of the world was born.
Rise to adore the mystery of love
Which hosts of angels chanted from above,
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the virgin’s Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard th’angelic herald’s voice, Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior’s birth
To you and all the nations of the earth;
This day hath God fulfilled His promised Word;
This day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.

He spoke; and straightaway the celestial choir
In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
The praises of redeeming love they sang,
And Heav’n’s whole orb with alleluias rang.
God’s highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace on the earth and unto men good will.

To Bethl’hem straight th’enlightened shepherds ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man
And found, with Joseph and the blessèd maid,
Her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
Then to their flocks, still praising God, return,
And their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.

Like Mary let us ponder in our mind
God’s wondrous love in saving lost mankind!
Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
From His poor manger to His bitter cross,
Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,
Till man’s first heav’nly state again takes place.

Then may we hope, th’angelic hosts among,
To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song.
He that was born upon this joyful day
Around us all His glory shall display.
Saved by His love, incessantly we sing
Eternal praise to Heav’n’s almighty King.

The Lord is come!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love.

May the Lord bless you as you remember His birth tomorrow.

Singing with Grace in your Hearts

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

I read this verse yesterday when doing my nightly Bible reading, and then today I read this beautiful post from Lauren.  Creation is singing and praising our Lord.  May we join the chorus with our feeble voices today, and one glorious day we will join the heavenly choirs in singing praises to the Lamb, for He is worthy.  He has redeemed us, let us praise His name.

                                                                 Psalm 100

1 A Psalm of praise.  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Have mercy, Lord

I never realized that music could hurt until I heard this.  Bach wrote St. Matthew's Passion based on Matthew's retelling of the death of our Lord.  In the oratorio, this aria is immediately after Peter's denial of our Lord.  It's a cry of pain from a heart that realizes the need for mercy.  I can't stop listening to it.  The beauty, the cry of desperation...  It keeps drawing me back again and again.  I need that mercy too.  All of us do.  This world needs God's mercy, it is only of His mercy that we are not consumed.

I particularly love this version.  The singer isn't performing here.  You can tell it is coming straight from her heart.  She too is pleading for mercy.  Have mercy, Lord.

Erbarme dich,
Mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen!
Schaue hier,
Herz und Auge weint vor dir
Bitterlich.

Have mercy Lord,
My God, because of this my weeping!
Look thou here,
Heart and eyes now weep for thee
Bitterly.

He sings for joy

Zephaniah 3: 17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Our Lord sings for joy over His people.  The angels sing with joy when a sinner comes, all creation sings to praise our Maker, and He sings for joy in every one of His children.  What a wonderful Savior He is!

My theme verse for this blog

Psalm 113:3: From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.

From sunrise to sunset.