“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3.
Happy New Year again; this time we turn the page in secular calendars rather than our liturgical calendars. As we begin this new year, we should take time to thank the Lord for the gift of time itself—days, weeks, and months that remind us of His faithfulness. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord God has been with us in the past year. The Lord carried us through seasons of joy and challenge and for filling our lives with daily reminders of His mercy. Give us, O Lord, faith to trust You will remain with us in the year ahead.
Yet, we have not always praised His name as we ought. The new year gives us an opportunity to look back at the hear behind in regret and forward to the awaiting year sure of God’s promises. We regret the moments when we allowed worry, pride, or busyness to crowd out gratitude. Lord, forgive us our failure to praise your name enough this past year and free our lips to praise your name in the coming days that our neighbors may know of your goodness and our dependence upon you.
What specific burdens do you carry into this year? What needs do you see in the lives of those around you? As you step into a fresh calendar of days, ask God to work through you and others to bring His name praise. Pray for the lonely, the weary, and the searching. Ask that His Word would go out to the ends of the earth and that you would find ways to live as a witness to His goodness. Lord, guide us and all Your people in this new year, strengthen those burdened by grief or uncertainty, lift up the weary.
God has a purpose for you this year. He has called you to praise His name not just with your lips but with your life. From the rising of the sun to its setting, you have the opportunity to reflect His love, serve your neighbors, and live as a testimony to His faithfulness. Whatever this year holds, trust that He walks with you, working all things according to His perfect plan in Christ. May His name be lifted high in your life in this new year.