New year - faithful God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 8:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and stars which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?" Psalm 8:3-4

Today is the day we not only flip over to a new page on the calendar, but put up a whole new calendar! We can experience a lot of different emotions as we start a new year.

We may feel anticipation, as we look at our crisp new journals or agenda books and wonder what activities and appointments will soon fill those squares. We may feel regret as we look back on the year past and recall the mistakes we've made and the things we've left undone. We may feel sadness because some of our friends and family members are no longer with us, and fear as we look into a future without them which may contain, as well, other dark expectations and dreaded outcomes. Or we may be full of eagerness to get going because we know this year is going to be great!

Whatever our emotions, the beginning of a new year is a good time to ponder the big picture. Psalm 8 — a nature psalm by David — is one way to do this.

In it David talks about looking into the sky and getting a sense of insignificance. That's not hard for us to identify with— mere dots that we are on this tiny planet in one little corner of the vast stretch of the universe where distances between bodies are expressed in light-years, a calculation we can hardly comprehend.

But David also feels a sense of significance. For man is the part of creation that is conscious of God's presence in a way the rest of the created world can never be. As a result he is "crowned" with glory and honour and has "dominion" over the rest of creation. A sidebar article in my Bible elaborates on human dominion and its resultant responsibility:

"Man has a responsibility that the rest of creation does not and holds a critical role in the affairs of earth....The world literally stands or falls based on the actions and stewardship of human beings...For this reason we should never be satisfied to dwell on a mere lower level of creaturely existence, but strive to live at the highest and fullest level of our human nature. God designed for man a more noble destiny than creation could ever bestow. We should continue to explore what it is to be human, made in the image and likeness of God and given dominion (stewardship) over all the earth" - C.B./J.M. in "Twin Truths: Man's Dominion and Responsibility" New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 691.

May I submit that we need to "strive to live at the highest and fullest level of our human nature" not only as we relate to the natural world, but as we confront personal, family and work challenges as well? There too we can live above "a mere lower level of creaturely existence." We don't need to be victims of the ups and downs of circumstances because we choose to live by faith in God, who has visited us and assures us in the Bible:

• He loves us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10).

• His plans for us are all-encompassingly good (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:27-28).

• We can face the future fearless because of His love (1 John 4:18)

PRAYER: Dear God, I give You this year with all its uncertainties, its highs and lows, its potential triumphs and disappointments. Help me to choose to trust You in every situation that will come my way in 2011. Amen.

MORE: A verse for the year

For some time now one of my first devotional activities of the year is to choose a Bible verse or verses as a flag-plant or banner for the year.

One year it was: Matthew 6:33

Another year it was: Philippians 4:6-7

Still another year it was: 1 Corinthians 13

Maybe you'd like to join me in doing that this year. Begin by taking some time to sit before God asking Him to show you what Your focus verse should be. Then open yourself to His answer through your own Bible reading, a sermon, song, something you read... When you've chosen your verse write it on a file card, post it on your bathroom mirror or fridge, memorize it, meditate on it, pray it, and generally let it permeate all of 2011.