New Life in the New Year

Monday:  Isaiah 1:16-17—Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

The New Year is a time to set new goals and resolve to live better.  It’s a time for spiritual cleansing and resetting to begin anew.  It marks the time when the days are becoming longer once again and we are making our way toward Spring and a time of new life.  God does not call us to be perfect, but He does call us to connect with him through our handling of others.  We are to be good and kind, seeking justice for the oppressed.  We are supposed to help people who can’t help themselves, even when they might be behaving in ways we don’t like.  We might not agree with their ideologies.  We may not understand why they do what they do.  But our calling is not to understand them – our calling is to rescue, defend, and plead for them.  We are to love them through our actions.  Jesus came to reconcile us to Him, and He came for every single person on this Earth.  So, it’s never our place to shut anyone out for any reason.  Our only responsibility is to show love through our actions.

Today as you pray and meditate on God’s Word, praise Him as the God of inclusion.  Thank Him for including you in His great plan on this Earth.  Commit yourself in this New Year to be a beacon of light for Him.  Seek out justice actively and be good to everyone around you – especially those who are more challenging to love.  Rejoice in God’s unconditional love for you and share that love to all those around you.