Happy New Years to each and every one who has taken time to explore and read chocolate castles this past year. As our lives go through different seasons, so does our passions, our desires, likes and dislikes. New adventures, new challenges and new goals beckon to us as we enter 2018.
This morning, one of our pastors talked to us about the new year. If we are to enter a new year of accomplishing things which we might have failed to accomplish this past year (or years), one thing we need to do is to just “let it go”. To surrender it to God, allowing Him to come along beside us and to ask Him for strength, power and depend upon Him to see us through whatever our task before us.
The scripture the pastor used today was from Matt 4:18 “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, also called Peter and Andrew, fishing with a net for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, “Come be my disciples and I will show you how to fish for people.” And they left their nets at once and went with Him.”
The two fishermen were called away from everything they knew and loved. They walked away from traditions of being fishermen which probably had been passed down from many generations. They left what was known to them to step into the unknown. Because they loved their occupation, Jesus didn’t ask them to give up the occupation, He just ask them to change what they fished for. People!
It gave me so much to think about. What have I been willing to give up to walk, by faith, into an unknown situation? They left their families and their comfort zones to go with Jesus.
As Randy and I prepare to go out for dinner tonight with new friends, I cannot help but think back about different New Years’ Eves and all the memories which have been popping up on my FaceBook page of years of different memories.
There have been NY Eves spent with friends we have known for years,in Texas, as we had dinner and then prayed in the New Year at midnight, years of spending NYE with other friends in Chicago or Florida, years when we had a lot of our kids back home and we played games and ate until we were about to bust. There were a few years that we awoke about 3 am to watch the floats begin to line up in front of our house in Pasadena for the Rose Parade. Last year we spent back in California ringing in the new year with new friends in California in prayer, after enjoying great food and games.
This year, we will be with new precious friends, here in Arizona. We have had to some years “leave our nets” to walk by faith into new surroundings and circumstances. Never, has our Lord ever left us. He has always walked with us, no matter how hard, leaving some of the “nets” were. He continues to bless us and provide for us, every step of the way. As the pastor talked about a painting, which showed a room which was dark, except for the steps which were lit by an open door where the light shone down upon them from the top of the stairs, may God’s love and light shine down upon each of you this coming year.
Do not be afraid to lay down your nets for God’s best for you.
He ended the message by telling us that,
1. We have to let go of where we thought we would end up and move forward into something new.
2. The fear of letting go keeps us from having the best of what God has for us.
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”
May 2018 be a year when we finish stronger than we began! Happy New Years and God Bless you as you “let go of any net that keeps you from His best that He has for you.”
Chocolate Castles 