Daily Devotional

Each New Year brings its challenges.  Challenges like remembering to write 2023 on my checks, following a new budget, or maybe making life changes.  Some of these are easy once we get into the flow of things, but others are more difficult.  As I go through this New Year, I am looking forward with anticipation to what God is going to do.  I want to fix my eyes on Him.    

With all the challenges this New Year will bring, I want to keep my focus upward and not just on the issues I will face in life.  Some favorite verses of mine that help me keep that mind set are found in the letter of 1 John.  In chapter three there is a very special promise given to us. “1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

As God’s children, we have a wonderful future.  God the Father loves us unconditionally and clams us as His own.  Today we have this deep family relationship, and it brings us unique benefits.  First of all, the Father’s love overflows in our life.  Just as He loves His Son, He love us as His children.  We have a perfect standing before the Father because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

Secondly, our future is beyond human understanding.  Someday we will see our Savior face to face.  The promise is that when we see Christ, we will be like Him with glorified bodies and will spend eternity with Him.  We will be united with our loved ones who also know the Lord.  Our focus needs to be heavenward, because of our glorious future.  This is our great hope and as a result, our desire should be to live every day to glorify our Savior.  Our lives are purified as we walk in this future expectation of seeing the Lord.
 
I want to challenge us to live life through this year with an upward focus.  This may be the year the Lord returns.  May we keep our minds fixed on that great hope in 2023.

Prayer:  Lord, so many things around us distract our minds from our glorious future as Your children.  Life is uncertain and has many problems.  Help us Lord not to focus on these things but to fix our eyes on the promise of Your soon return.  Amen