God's Goodness in this New Year

It would be hard to describe all the Lord has been doing in my life in the first few days of this new year. He has really been working in me, showing me some of those areas in which I need to grow and helping me so much already . . . and giving me such good times with Him.

I love the sweetness of His presence. True, life will have its challenges and hardships . . . but in all of it, if we know Jesus, we have His dear presence to encourage and to guide. What greater gift could we desire, deep down, than that . . . and yet He gracious chooses to not only give us Himself, the best gift of all, but also bestow on us many other wonderful blessings in this life.

I have found lately that life has not been without its challenges and stressful moments with the different things He's put on my plate ... yet He's been so faithful to me in the midst of it all, abundantly faithful. Two meetings I had at work today went so well and over and beyond what I could have hoped for ... God has truly been so good to me.

I am so grateful for my Savior. I can’t imagine life without Him! It’s exciting to think of this new year and all that He will do in and through me as (by His grace) I let go more and yield more of me to Him. I know I have so far to go in this area, but I truly believe brokenness is the way to abundant life. I think of Jim Elliot who gave his life to reach the Auca Indians, who said, “He is no fool who gives the things He cannot keep [the things of this life] to gain the things He cannot lose.”

I am grateful for a God who doesn’t give up on me . . . who gives me second, third and fourth chances . . . again and again . . . who, in fact, never runs out of patience toward me and continually gives me the opportunity to know Him more and walk more closely with Him. He is amazing and wonderful, and I find myself falling more and more in love with Him each day.