Shepherd's voice from the pasture…

We are nearing the last moments of the year 2009. This is the right time to look back to the past and analyze our achievements and failures in our spiritual life.

Many of us started the year with new decisions and great goals. It would be a tragedy if some of us have forgotten them in the midst of our hectic schedules.

Most of the Watch Night Services, these days, are reduced to mere meaningless, namesake gatherings. On that occasion, many believers’ tongues transform into a launching pad for lifeless, long testimonies that literally kill the spiritual atmosphere of the service. The sum and substance of most of the testimonies would be the same. “During the past one year, the Lord was faithful to me in spite of my unfaithfulness and failures’. Some of those believers even go to the extent of threatening the Lord by declaring that they would do something remarkable in the New Year for the glory of God.

If anybody tells his employer at the end of the year that he didn’t do anything during the year and was just wasting his time lazily, that person would definitely receive a termination letter  from his boss. Some of us didn’t receive the termination notice from the Lord yet just because of His unlimited mercy.

Within a few hours, the year 2009 will become an inseparable part of history. The year was full of problems. Economic crisis is still hanging above mankind like the sword of Damocles. Thousands lost their jobs and ended up in the streets. Terrorism did spread its wings all over the world during the year.

Many of us are scared of the unknown. As we are stepping into the New Year, we don’t know what is waiting ahead for us.
I read somewhere the story of a few people who were travelling in an old ship. In their voyage, they came in the middle of a turbulent sea. The sea was so rough and stormy that they thought that the ship was going to sink. One of the frightened traveler went to see the captain and said-
“Captain, are we safe?”
He said-
“Well, I’ll put it to you in this way. The boilers on this ship are very weak and may explode at any moment. The ship is very old and she’s taking on water. To be very honest with you, we may have an explosion or we may sink. We may go up or we may go down. At any rate, we are going”.

As we are entering into the New Year, this is the present situation of the modern world. With all its accumulated problems, this planet is on the verge of an explosion. However, those who believe in the Lord have great hope for they have learned from their experiences that the Good Shepherd used the events of the last year, even their failures, to help them to grow in their spirit. King David says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23 :4).

There are two questions relevant at this moment. Is it practical to lead a victorious Christian life? How we can lead a meaningful Christian life in the coming New Year?

The former baseball player Billy Sunday was converted to Christianity. Inspired by the conversion story, a believer put his arm around his shoulder and said-
“Billy, there are three simple rules I can give you. If you hold to them, no one will ever write backslider after your name. Take 15 minutes each day to listen to God talking to you. Take 15 minutes each day to talk to God. And 15 minutes each day to talk to others about God”.

Listen to the Lord every day. Talk to Him and talk about Him to others every day. Let that be our New Year resolution.
May the new year be a year of joy and prosperity for us enriched with spiritual blessings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!