THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1982

When king Herod sought to slay the new-born King, the Lord Jesus, as reported in the Gospel, he was filled with jealousy. But God turned the enmity of Herod to good account. He not only protected His own dear Son, but also caused Mary and Joseph to pass through an experience by which their faith, their God-given faith, was tested and strengthened. It was an experience of acknowledging the Lord and of God directing their paths. Such experience we wish to consider.

On our journey of life we have just entered upon a new year. If we look back, then adversity and prosperity were our part here on earth in the year which has passed by so very rapidly. But looking into the future, unable to find our own course, we long for assurance. We all, possibly the one more, the other less, would like to know whether things will go well for ourself and our loved ones. But, alas, the difficulty is that we want to know this by our own wisdom.

How many of us really acknowledge God’s authority? How many recognize His goodness? How many trust His wisdom? How many have a need in their heart to obey His will?

I wrote, “How many.” At times we wonder if it is not closer to the truth to lament, “How few!”. O, that the inspired advice of Solomon may be brought in our heart. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” If so, then we can gain comfort from heaven in the way we have to go.

Our knowledge is limited; our view is confined both as to space and time. But God is all-wise and all-seeing. The future is unknown to us. Not only is next December hidden from our eyes, but also tomorrow; yes, the very next hour. It is not without cause that we can read in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

With the Almighty God it is totally different; He sees the end from the beginning and He makes known what shall come to pass. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). “For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven” (Job 28:24).

Our judgment is defective and perverted, but God’s is perfect. Day by day new situations confront us; we have not passed that way before. New problems perplex us. And, do not forget, our understanding is darkened and our will is perverted by sin. There is no hope in and of man himself. Even if the Lord has given true conversion, we constantly need the correction of God’s Law and the guidance and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

God’s people have to learn continually what Paul experienced in Romans 7:19, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” And if we are without God in the world, do not forget that which the same apostle taught us in Ephesians 4:18, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Should we then boast?

We have no right to follow our own will and choose our own paths. Is it not necessary, therefore, to beg if we may learn to acknowledge Him in all our ways in 1982? We have to learn not to lean upon our own understanding. Might the Lord give us to search the Scriptures by the Light of the Holy Spirit. God’s precious Word has to become a lamp unto our feet and a light upon our path. That is acknowledging Him. Only then shall we receive the promise, “And He shall direct thy paths.” If the Lord opens our eyes for the way we have to go, then God’s servants are privileged to explain as in Psalm 63, “Because Thou hast been my Help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.”

O, God enlighten our hearts and minds, fashion our wills, and guide our footsteps in the pathway of safety. No wonder that God’s servant sang, “Take Thou my hands and lead me.” If by grace we may have faith in God’s wisdom and goodness, then He shall enable us to trust in Him and to obey His will. David said in Psalm 143, “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk.”

If the Lord will give us a humble heart in this year, we shall find out that He alone can give us the assurance: “He shall direct thy paths.” Then we need not worry, because then we know that He leads all according to His good and immutable counsel.

“Paths” and “ways” mean our going and coming, our downsitting and uprising. The Lord alone can remove all the obstacles and thus enable a humble soul to walk safely., Is not this necessary in such an evil time as ours? Ought it not to be the need of our heart: to walk safely directed by God, for time and eternity?

The Lord give in the midst of our congregations an earnest prayer for the future. God alone can take charge, lead, and guide us, so that with David we may say, “He leadeth me.”

To know this and to experience God’s wonderful works in all His doings—O, then we need the adoption as His children. Although our way of life can be darkened with all kinds of trials and tribulations, still Asaph knew: “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel: Thou hast holden me by my right hand.” O then, amidst all the afflictions that are befalling us on account of our sins, God directs the path of life for His children. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loueth him chasteneth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24).

Is it not high time that we learn to cry, “God, be merciful unto us in this year! O, wilt Thou remember us and our children, our offspring!”

If we receive the grace to give over everything into God’s holy hands, then He takes care of our every day and our every night, even the hour of our death.

Do not forget: we all have a conscience. But our conscience, like the rest of our nature, has been affected by sin and is in itself no longer a safe guide. Nevertheless, God does warn and admonish us by the still, small voice within us. O, watch that your conscience does not become seared as with a hot iron. Do not harden yourself even more.

If the Holy Spirit opens our heart, then He will teach us the way which we have to go. Therefore it is more necessary for us than our daily bread, that He enlighten us and teach us His will and how we should follow in Christ’s blessed footsteps.

For the human mind, God moves in a mysterious way. But He makes all things work together for good to them that love God. Why do they love God? Because they are the called according to His purpose and when He called them, He shed His love abroad in their heart. This love from God now works a return love to God and it is such a love that acknowledges Him. Then, in most unexpected ways, He also directs our paths. Would that we receive an open eye for spiritual matters, for if that be the case, we shall learn to know more and more that the choice of our path is the path of unrighteousness. Yet, if He leads us, we shall find out that the pathway of righteousness is His path for His Name’s sake and on account of Christ’s mediatorial work. And so we need to be directed by God onto His path, following the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.

The experience of God’s children attests to the truth of our text: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” As God led the Bible saints, so will He guide all who need Him and may learn to follow Him. What a wonderful blessing if we may understand what David experienced in Psalm 16:8, “I have the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” In Psalm 25 he might declare, “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” God’s poor child will know a little of this at times. Alas, were it but more often!

If Zion would be more at the right place, then it would become more evident in their life what is written in Psalm 18:19, “He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.” A great blessing it is if we may look at the future with such a testimony in our heart. Then there is opening and a trusting in the LORD that He will take care of us.

Do you wish to have a “Blessed New Year?” Then acknowledge God in all your ways; consult Him in all your undertakings; daily seek His pardoning grace in Christ and the guidance of His Holy Spirit to direct your paths.

Furthermore, we hope the Lord will deal mercifully with our congregations, large and small. May He give the few ministers a desire to be faithful watchmen upon the walls of Zion. Especially as they grow older, may the Lord be their Light when it is eventide. May the trumpet give no uncertain sound. May the shepherds watch over their flocks, even wayward sheep. The Lord strengthen also the other office-bearers in a time when we have to deal with circumstances never thought of before. May He provide us with men, unworthy in their own sight, but quickened by grace and endowed with gifts, called from on High.

At the same time we hope that the Lord will give the necessary instructions to the two students for the ministry. We hope that the Lord will use them in the future as tools in His holy hands. In this respect, too, God’s way is in the sea, and His path in the great waters, and His footsteps are not known.

May His guiding hand be over our schools; may the principals and teachers have the desire to seek the welfare of our children. Let us not be highminded, but fear. May the students learn with diligence, listening attentively and obediently, for that is God’s will. It would be so much greater, though, if the Lord would own this work and give the teachers to teach prayerfully and the children to learn prayerfully. Then you are acknowledging Him. O, pray for the remainder of this text too—that He would direct your paths. It is the very best way.

Above all we hope, although we are not worthy of the least of His blessings, that God will work in the hearts of members, both professing and baptized. Let us not forget that the most important thing is to become a member of the Church which shall remain to all eternity. We must have an old-fashioned conversion as you read in Scripture.

The times are dark and the days are evil. Sin is spreading more and more over our old world and it does not pass by our congregations. Through our members, alas, wickedness penetrates the congregations. God Almighty give a faithful, earnest prayer: “Lord, keep us with the old, proven truth; may our daily conduct not be a blame upon God’s Holy Name and to our eternal destruction.” To the law and to the testimony! The Lord give grace to break with worldliness. If our chietconcern is the honour of His Holy Majesty, then there is not so much that we can go along with.

We say it again: although we are not worthy of the least of God’s blessings, may God’s people find out in a way of humility what is stated in Psalm 48:14, “for this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.”

For sure, we have not deserved any blessing, but may He make all things well to His own glory and to the benefit of the congregations. It would be a miracle from heaven if we might see, also in this year, what the Saviour spoke to His disciples, “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen