Thanking God for 2017...Seeking God for 2018

Today is Sunday, December 31st.
We normally meet with the brethren at Solid Rock Bible Church this morning, but due to the extreme cold temperatures and snow (see the screen shot from my weather app taken this morning), our pastor sent out word yesterday that we would cancel the meeting today. Many of the church live out in the country, and here in Iowa that means gravel roads, which can get icy and drifted over. A lot of us drive some distance to get to the church meeting, so Adam decided on caution and asked everyone to stay home, warm, and safe.


I posted the Bible reading plan I use here on the Iowa Seed Sowers website in one of the tabs in the header, as a downloadable file for anyone interested in using it.

Today takes me through the end of the Old Testament for the year, Malachi 1-4, through the end of the book of Psalms for the second time this year, Psalm 150, and through the New Testament for the second time this year, Revelation 22.

Malachi 4

I'm not suggesting this is some great accomplishment:  it's really not that much time in the word to follow this plan, and plenty of people spend more time and go through more scripture in a year than this. But it is a way to stay in the word - to stay disciplined like anything else that's important - and as I reflect back on 2017 I'm thankful for the privilege to have, read, and meditate on God's word. Some don't have it, and long for it.  

Mary & I got to spend some time by the fire last night, praying for all the witnessing opportunities we had in 2017, and that people might come to understand the gospel and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ through it. We prayed for people, lost and saved, and also for what the Lord would bring for us in 2018.  It reminds me that we are all living on borrowed time: the prophet Daniel tells me that not only Belshazzars' breath, but mine as well, are in God's hand (Daniel 5:23), and God can take it away any time He sees fit.

Revelation 22

I hope you, too, can look back on 2017 and thank the Lord for the treasure of His word, and maybe for witnessing encounters and evangelism outreach where you live. And in 2018, let's provoke one another - challenge one another - to even more love and good works, the ones we are commanded to walk in as born-again followers of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:24, Titus 2:14, Ephesians 2:10), filled with love & humility, and by God's amazing grace.