A new year. A clean and blank calendar. Nothing is written in any of the boxes. And yet, God knows what each and every box will hold. He knows. Nothing is hidden to Him. Not a single event or circumstance will take Him by surprise like it will me. How amazing to think about the year ahead.
It seemed natural this morning to turn to the pages of the original clean slate. Creation-a most familiar story to us. God, the Master Creator, brings everything which our eyes can behold, our hands can touch, our ears hear, our mouths taste and our hearts can marvel into existence. Think of it. He had this vast void into which He brought everything that is from everything that is not. He had nothing to work with and yet brought it all to be ….
- Day 1 – He separated the light from the darkness. And He saw, “It was good.” He called it good before He was finished creating.
- Day 2 – He separated the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.
- Day 3 – He created land and seas on the earth. “And God saw that it was good.” He caused the land to sprout with vegetation, trees and plants. “And God saw that it was good.” Again, before He was finished creating.
- Day 4 – He created the sun, moon and stars, bringing seasons, days and years into existence, perhaps the start of calendars š . “And God saw that it was good.” But not finished.
- Day 5 – God called the birds and fish into being. “And God saw that it was good,” though still not finished.
- Day 6 – God made all the animals of the earth. On this day, He also created man. On this day, He saw that it was all very good.
- Day 7 – God rested.
God called each stage of creation “good” before He was done creating. He called it good while it was yet a work in progress. God knew that man would sin. He knew the atrocities and sadness that would occur throughout all time. Yet He called creation “good”. Now I am not sure about how it will hit you but this caused my heart to rejoice for I am far from perfect. I am not sure if I would even say that “I am good”. And yet God declares over our lives, “You are good.” With all of our flaws and imperfections and yes, sin, He still chooses to work in our lives each and every day.
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (Philippians 1:6, The Message)
He intends for our lives to flourish – “to thrive; to prosper; to grow luxuriantly; to be at the height of excellence and influence.”
Read that sentence again, if you must, for this is what He desires for each of our lives in the year ahead – excellence and influence. He desires that our lives flourish this year.
Before this year has hardly begun, may we call it “good”. May we believe, in faith (my one word), it will be good for us. It may hold days of challenges, difficulties, perhaps sadness. But may we remember it is all intended so that we will live lives which grow luxuriantly. Lives that will be lived with excellence. Lives which will influence those around us to live with excellence as well.
God intends for our lives to flourish in 2014.
Today I am joining …. Lyli at Thought Provoking Thursday and Thankful Thurs. and Blog Lovin’ and Thrive at Home and Time Travel Thurs. and Thurs. Favorite Things and Legacy Leaver Thurs. and Imperfect Prose .
This is a beautiful reminder. Despite how the world looks today, God called it all “good”. I love that – He knows what the outcome will be and yet still calls his creation good. I am so grateful for a God who sees the potential that our human eyes often fail to see. Thank you for linking up with Thankful Thursday today.
I, too, am grateful for a God who sees potential that I fail to see. Especially when it is in me š This truly encourages me to keep on with Him. He never leaves an incomplete project. Blessings!
I had to stop in briefly when I saw the title to your post. Since I started my Bible reading challenge on the 1st to read the whole Bible, these words have been on my heart. So glad to read this today. So good!!! Love you.
May God bless you, Beth, in this Bible Reading challenge. I took that challenge 2 years ago for the very first time & it truly blessed me!
Love that He calls us “good” while we are still a work in progress!! Thank you for this encouragement this morning, Joanne! Heart Hugs, Shelly <3
So very encouraging, Shelly. I am grateful that His work in us IS good & brings about good. Have a great day!
amen!! the future is good because it is indeed His!
Amen! So glad you left this comment!
I love Philippians 1:6, but I had never read it in The Message. Love it! Thanks for sharing this with Thought-Provoking Thursday today.
It is amazing to me how a different version can shed new light on an old truth. I am so blessed to be a part of the Thought Provoking Community each week. May He bless & grow the community in 2014!
Thinking of Jeremiah 29:11 as I read your post. Gods plans for us are for good, not disaster!
I just read that verse in The Message: “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” I love that His calendar for us is all planned! Thank you for sharing that verse, Elizabeth!
Joanne,
Nice to meet you. I’m hopping over from the IP link up. The line: “He called it good while it was yet a work in progress” is lovely and hopeful, isn’t it?
And the Message’s term “flourishing” adds a fresh spin for me.
Blessings,
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
I do not read The Message regularly but when I do, it always gives me a new insight. I have to remember to read it more often. I am glad that you stopped here as it is always great to “meet” someone new. Have a blessed Sunday!
Thanks for this post, Joanne. Sometimes the New Year brings uncertainty along with a clean slate. This is a great reminder that God wants us to flourish in whatever the year brings.
You make such a good point – the future is almost always uncertain. We never can be sure what a day may hold. Shannon, I am so grateful we have a God Whom we know for certain will be with us in each of our days. May we flourish in Him this year!
a wonderful reminder. Thank you for sharing and joining in the fun at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. I am leaving some hugs on your sweet blog
Thank you for the encouragement, Katherine. It is a wonderful blog hop & community that you have developed.