A New Year’s Prayer
"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my
heart to fear thy name.” -- Psalms 86:11
There is no better way for
us to begin this day and this year than by earnestly seeking the will of God in
it. It is certain that God sovereignly accomplishes his will, his eternal
purpose, in all things (Isa. 46:9-1 1).
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none
else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my
pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have
spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do
it."
Nothing comes to pass in
time except that which God purposed in eternity. Yet nothing is more important,
and nothing more difficult, to a believer than seeking the will of God in
making responsible choices and decisions about his actions in life.
We know by painful
experience that it is possible to make the wrong choices. We rejoice to know
that God graciously overrules our errors in judgement for out spiritual,
eternal good and for the glory of his own great name (Rom. 8:28). And we praise
him for that! But when a believer walks contrary to the will of his Lord, he
brings grief and trouble to himself. Be Wise, therefore, and seek grace both to
know and do the will of God in all things.
“Teach me thy way, O Lord.” Do you desire, my friend,
to know the will of God in all things? Then ask God himself to reveal his will
to you, by his Spirit and by his Word. He alone can teach you his way and he
will if you are willing to walk in it.
“I will walk in thy truth.” In essence, David is
saying, 'Lord, if you teach me your way, by your grace I will gladly walk in
it. If you will mark out my path in providence, I will stick to it. 'This is
the attitude of submission and faith before the Lord. And where there is true faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ and submission to his will, there will always be an
acknowledgement of weakness and sin and the need for divine grace.
“Unite my heart to fear thy
name.”
We can walk in God's will only as he gives us grace to do so. When we do make
errors concerning the will of God, it is either because we have not earnestly
sought his will, or else because we are rebellious to it. Of this one thing we
can be sure: God always reveals his will to the person who is willing to (Pro.
3:5-6).
"Trust in the LORD with
all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #887
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 859-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net