Happy New Year!

We stand just a few short days away from the threshold of a brand new year. But the question always arises...what will the new year hold for us? Some predict the end of the world, others another year of economic woes and hardships. For others they predict a world record breaking year of Olympics and others groaning over another year of elections and politics. With a brand new year, we often set forth new resolutions. Things that we wish to accomplish in the new year...but what would happen if we realized that we may not have a complete year to live out? Are we even promised tomorrow? The Bible tells us that we truly don't know if we have another day to live or not. The Bible tells a parable (Luke 12) about a wealthy man, who had everything that he absolutely needed, and chose to set up larger barns and live happily off of his hard work and earnings. The day that he had planned to build his large barns he was told by God, that that day his life would be required of him, and that he would not be enjoying the bounty which he had worked so hard to accomplish. The moral of the story is the fact, that truthfully we don't know if we will have a day tomorrow to live or not. What we should say, the parable informs us, is that we should live our life out with the idea of saying, "If the Lord wills..." then we may accomplish our desires. We go through life, often saying we will accomplish tomorrow what cannot be accomplished today, but so often we waste our days away so that what COULD be done today does not get done today, because we are not accurately using the time that God has given to us. Are there times needed for recreation and entertainment? I believe so very much, but when those times take over our lives, and cause us to leave to tomorrow the things that ought to be done today, then our priorities are not in correct order. Let us vow this next year, nay this very day, that we will never again take each heartbeat, or breath for granted, but use every moment that God has given to us as a gift from him, so that we might bring him the glory due to his name. "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11