Probably early in the summer last year I was in conversation with a friend after our Breaking of Bread meeting, and he quoted this verse, which has remained an essential part of my daily walk with God ever since:

Life was tough last year! It seemed that no sooner was one trial over, then another one began! One after the other with greater intensity, and although this has left me very tired, I rejoice in the most precious things I learned in the midst of those trials. As mentioned in an earlier blog: “Truly, God is Good!”

Just when things became almost unbearable, I remembered the wonderful words of the above verse and took courage, while being challenged a little at the same time. After all, each day of my valley experiences were days that the Lord had made, and He who knew all about the trials in them had given every reason to rejoice in them also. I would need to be on the lookout for them until I found those reasons to rejoice … and I found them … aplenty!

I learned things about the sweet character of my beloved Lord I would never have known without those trials! I discovered that if I asked God to show me His mind and His will about the matters I was facing, then I would better know how to pray the prayers He would like to hear come from my heart, so that those prayers could and would be swiftly answered.

This was a nugget of precious wisdom a dear friend gave to me a long time ago and has been among the best words of advice I have ever been given. This stood me in such great stead and being in prayer became a most delightful occupation after which I waited in joyful anticipation to see what God would do. And I saw Him at work doing the impossible!

He gave strength, He gave wisdom, He gave courage, and enabled me to do things I would never have been able to do before.

The things I write about are not to elevate myself, because each of God’s people are precious to His heart. But all of us have needs, the greatest of which is an intimate walk with Him, which will enable us all to know His mind and His will in any given situation.

Be honest with Him my friend and ask Him as I was advised, and wait to see how He will enable you to pray the prayers He wants to hear come from your heart.

And so, here we are on the threshold of a brand New Year. What will 2025 bring to us? We can be certain of this one thing - no matter what will happen, whether or not we are to pass through periods of suffering and trials, there will always be a cause to rejoice.

We have a great God who is true to His Word. He has promised to be with us always. Every blessing we enjoy, even the smallest and most insignificant blessing is something to rejoice in and be thankful for.

And so if as the Psalmist declared confidently that: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”, then we can choose to do the same.

Every day we can wake up and purpose in our hearts to rejoice and be glad. Even if we are not in a gladsome situation, we can look beyond it to the Lord Himself, and He will enable us to discover reasons for gladness.

If we look at the year in front of us as a race that is to be run, and the goal is Jesus our beloved Lord and Saviour, we have every reason to run with confidence and with joy in our hearts no matter what the day by days bring to us.

Therefore, as we begin each day, each week, each month, and this year, let us do so with the attitude of heart, and even the words on our lips:

“This is the day which the Lord has made …”
“This is the week which the Lord has made …”
“This is the month which the Lord has made …”
“This is the year which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”

May it be that our walk with Him will be filled with much blessing, and that our soul will be enriched with the intimate knowledge of Him. And who knows, maybe sometime this year, or in the next few months, or in the next few weeks, or days, or maybe even this very day we will get to hear “the shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God”, and off we will go to meet with Him in the air when He comes to take us to ‘His Father’s house.’

👉  See 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.
👉  John 14: 1-3

And I trust and pray that for you 2025 will be the year that you discover a multitude of reasons to rejoice and be glad as the result of looking unto Jesus in the race He has set before you.