Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3
It’s the beginning of another new
year. It does not seem possible that a
whole year could fly by so fast but it has.
I love the start of a new year. I
love the thought of beginning again, a second chance, a new start, and new
possibilities. How about you? How do you
feel about the New Year? Are you
approaching it with apprehension or anticipation? In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul gives
us some reasons to feel anticipation.
Michael
Bausch tells a great story about archaeologist Howard Carter. In 1922 Carter
was completing nearly fifteen years of digging in the famous Valley of the
Kings in Egypt. He was hoping to find the royal tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
Having found nothing, his days of digging were coming to an end. Money was
running out. Then workers discovered sixteen stairs leading into the earth.
Thousands of baskets filled with rocks and sand had to be carried away, but
eventually a door was found at the end of a long passageway. Carter drilled a
small hole in the door and stuck an iron-testing rod into a dark, blank space.
He then inserted a candle into the hole and peered in. As his eyes grew
accustomed to the light, details emerged into his view, and he saw strange
animals, statues, and everywhere the glint of gold. He wrote of that moment, "For the
moment, I was struck dumb with amazement." A partner asked, "Can you
see anything?" And Carter's reply was, "Yes, wonderful
things."
Paul gives us some reasons you and
I can look into this New Year and see wonderful things. Today we will look at
the first reason we can look forward to a new year with anticipation instead of
anxiety.
FIRST OF ALL, HE SAYS WE ARE BLESSED v.3
A certain king had two servants. To the
first he said, "I want you to travel for six months through my kingdom and
bring back a sample of every weed you can find." To the second servant the king said, "I
want you to travel through my kingdom for six months and bring back a sample of
every flower you can find." Six
months later, both servants stood before the king. To the first, the king
asked, "Have you carried out my command?" The first servant answered,
I have, and I was amazed to find there were so many weeds in the kingdom. In
fact, there is nothing but weeds in this kingdom!"
To the king's question the second servant also answered, "I have, and I am amazed how many beautiful flowers there are in the kingdom. In fact, there is nothing but beautiful flowers in this kingdom!"
These two servants each found what
they were looking for. So do we. Are there really no blessings in your life? Do
you have no one who loves you, no beauty outside your window, no strength left
in your body, no mind to guide you to new pleasures and opportunities, no faith
to bear you up when circumstance weighs you down? Are you really without any
resources for making this year a wonderful year? Look again at your life and see what God has
done.
Paul points us to our heavenly
resources which are there regardless of what the world offers. Count your
blessings, says the old hymn. Count your blessings. We are blessed!
Scripture to Claim:
How
blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! Psalm 32:1
