By faith, we rest our heads on our pillows each night, fully expecting to wake up to a new day. Under most circumstances, we don’t even think about it. Each day is a gift.
That’s why I don’t get too excited about New Year’s celebrations. Every single day should be celebrated as a new beginning. Every precious moment presents new opportunities. Each passing second is a gift from God.
My daughters and my soul sisters know that when God calls me home, I want the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” to be sung.
God’s faithfulness is what I can depend on. It is never dependent on circumstances; instead, the certainty that He is faithful is a truth deeply rooted within my soul. God has me protected under the shadow of His wings. “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4).
I remember receiving an interesting Christmas letter from a pastor and his wife, which outlined the highlights and lowlights of their year. I love how they expressed this truth: “Our lowlights come about when we take our eyes off Christ and His slow but steady faithfulness in our lives.”
One of my favourite Scripture passages has always been Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” These verses highlight the fresh kindness we receive from our Lord each day. Our Lord is faithful, constant, and true. He never changes. We can trust Him. Our faith offers us comfort, especially in these uncertain times.
What occurs when we step out in faith into a brand-new year or venture amidst uncertainty? I will share an example from my past ministry experience.
My years in ministry were a gift from God. I remember the beginning as if it were yesterday. Rev. Bud Penner came to me one Sunday morning and asked if I would come to work for the AGC. I was employed at that time and wasn’t considering a change. In all seriousness, I was quite sure I talked myself out of a job during the interview process. It was almost as if I needed to know that this opportunity was from God, so I thought if I deliberately explained to the AGC why I wasn’t the right person for the job, then only God could make it happen.
Yet, on the very day of the interview, the verse for the day from a devotional book I kept in my car was: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Wow! Talk about the Lord speaking… it was a burning bush experience.
I have always been afraid of change and the unknown. I quite enjoyed aspects of the job I had been doing. Yet sometimes we must step out of the boat, keep our eyes on Jesus, and let Him calm our insecurities. We cannot retreat in fear and move forward in faith at the same time. God wants us to step out in faith even though we don’t know what lies ahead. For me, many unexpected personal challenges arose after I entered ministry. Yet, God provided the way and met me even in my darkest moments.
As we step out in faith into a brand-new year, let’s remember these words that are an amazing testimony of faith:
“No unbelief made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised” (Romans 4:20-21).
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.