Continuing the Journey: The Path Ahead (part 2 of 2)





And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”  Revelation 21:5

          Are you making resolutions for this new year?  Many do.  Many don’t.  I, personally, am not one to make a resolution, per se.  I continually set goals for myself, but I do them with realistic steps.  What do I mean by that?  I tell myself that I am going to work toward a goal, not I AM going to do this by such and such time.  Many get downhearted when they are unable to reach a certain goal or objective, even though they are moving forward to obtain it.  An example:  I quit smoking early last year.  I didn’t resolve that 2016 was going to be the year that I quit.  However, I planned on working toward the goal of quitting, whether I completed the task or not.  I wanted to be heading down that path.  Just so happens, I accomplished it early. 
          God gives us pointers and tips as we look at the road ahead.  He instructs us not to worry about what lies ahead (Matt. 6:25).  The apostle John tells us not to fear or give our hearts to troublesome thoughts (John 14:27).  There are still aspects that I am uncertain as to where I am headed in life, but God already knows.  He wants me to trust Him and to follow where He guides me. 
          Our Father has a plan for each of us (Jer. 29:11).  Instead of worrying about the unforeseen future, He wants us to look forward to it, while turning our lives to Him (Phil. 3:13-14).  We are asked to strive to do better.  To make better choices.  To be less selfish.  To be a guide to others.  Are we always going to succeed?  Possibly not.  There will be moments that our faith gets tested.  Our feet will stumble upon those rocks of doubt.  We will probably even slip and fall to the ground.  God knows that it will happen, but He doesn’t expect us to wallow around in self-pity.  These are the moments that He expects us to take His outstretched hand and help us back to our feet. 
          Life is the proverbial horse needing to be tamed.  It will buck you.  It will slam you into the saddle.  It will even throw you right off it’s back.  You can lie in the dirt, or dust yourself off and hop back on.  The choice is yours.  Just prepare yourself for the consequences of those choices. 
          As I stated in part one of this series, the beginning of last year looked a little grim.  As much as I tried to tell myself that I trusted in God’s plan, my heart wasn’t totally confident.  I still had my doubts.  He showed me that I had nothing to worry about.  He is at the wheel and He IS in control of my life.
          I look ahead to the path of this new year with anticipation.  Do I know exactly what will transpire?  No!  Am I certain that I WILL reach definite goals?  No!  So, what can I be certain about?  I can be certain that if I am working toward certain goals, I will succeed.  That doesn’t mean that I may accomplish everything on the first try.  It does mean that if I continue to persevere, God will see me through. 
This year, I have a new family to continue my journey with.  I will be able to guide them, and they will also guide me.  We will look ahead together.  We will trust that God has a plan for us, whether we clearly see it or not.  We will follow Him.
May I suggest that you look to this new year with eyes wide open.  Set yourself some goals, but resolve to continue to work on those goals.  Don’t set yourself to worrying about accomplishing them by a certain time.  Continue to work on them.  As long as you are pressing forward, you are gaining.
Happy New Year, everyone!

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