LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 43:18-19, “But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for My people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert.

Pastor Ed Newton used this verse to close out 2024 in his message to Community Bible Church. He used it to make sure those hearing his message would take time to remember the events of 2024 in our lives, to remember and reflect on God’s goodness, and to be thankful. At the same time, Pastor wanted us to remember the “old has passed away and that all Believers are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Believer, serve God in faith, looking forward to what He has for each of them in the year 2025!

I found this very same sentiment of being thankful in a new book I am reading by Mark Batterson, A Million Little Miracles. Being thankful or grateful – showing gratitude – for what God does in our life is essential to walking the narrow way with Jesus Christ. Both Pastor Newton and Batterson have shared about the importance of not only reflecting on the past year but on each day as essential to our spiritual walk. The question needs to be asked when was the last time you took time to really be thankful about what God has done in your life and in the lives around you? Batterson wrote, “Nuanced gratitude results in nuanced joy.” He means that when we begin to train our minds to noticing the every day miracles around us, the little things become sources of great joy into our lives (at least that’s what I got out of that statement). I am also learning to give God the praise for the miracles of answered prayer and the many blessings He has given to me! Batterson confirmed this in his book, “Whatever you don’t turn into praise turns into pride, until you have sufficiently counted your blessings, you aren’t ready for the next one.” Praise and thanksgiving certainly might keep one busy during the day!

Batterson wrote, “Did you know that gratitude and anxiety can’t coexist in the human mind?  There is something about gratitude that flips the switch on anxiety. If you increase gratitude, you decrease anxiety by default [I’m going to keep this in mind!]. Count your blessings! But don’t stop counting once you’ve listed all the obvious ones. Keep digging deeper and deeper. Remember how God ended each day of creation? He paused and took joy in His creation. What if you set aside a few minutes at the end of each day to count your blessings? It might not change your circumstances, but I guarantee it would change you! After you count your blessings, flip those blessings for other people, and gratitude will grow like compound interest. Gratitude isn’t getting what you want; it’s wanting what you have. It’s a growing awareness of and appreciation for a million little miracles!”

That is a good word by both Pastor Newton and Mark Batterson; one I needed to hear and read. As I reflect on 2024, I have so much to be thankful for and praise the Lord for. As the year closes out, I look forward to 2025. I know God is doing something and remember the words of the prophet, “But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Yes, He is doing a new thing in my life and I do look forward to what He is going to do!