01 January – JESUS LOVES YOU AND ME

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

(Matthew 1:21)

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

(Luke 2:21)

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits”

(Psalm 103:2)

As we step into the dawn of another year today, the refrain from Johnson Oatman (Jnr)’s Hymn, “Count Your Blessings”, comes strongly to mind. It says:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Our hearts are full of praises and thanksgiving for our being able to sail safely through the challenges and fears of the past year. As each year goes, a new one begins with new expectations and plans. More significantly, with the coming of Jesus into the world, a new life of hope, freedom and dominion has been provided for mankind. Thus, all who are in Christ will live victoriously in this world and eternally. “Lord, thank you, we crossed over, safely,” we ought to say!
The first day of January is the eighth day from the birth of Jesus. The name JESUS, announced by Angel Gabriel to Mary, His mother, is related to the Hebrew word which means to save, rescue or deliver; and it summarises His messianic mission on earth.

With His victorious death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled and is still fulfilling His God-given ministry. He is alive, and lives forever! Before each of us was conceived, God had given us a mission; and Jesus can help us accomplish this mission, as He succeeded in accomplishing His.

ACTION: Do you know your God-given mission? As you start a New Year, ask the Lord for the segment of your mission He would want you to accomplish this year.

PRAYER: Dear Father, give me grace to joyfully walk in the segment of my mission that you want me to accomplish this year!