Dear Ones,
As we complete this year and begin another, I believe that there is one New Year's resolution that is essential for all of us to keep, "Abide in Him!" Every moment of every day there are thousands of voices calling out to us to abide in either this or that, to trust in and to secure ourselves in this or that. We are insecure beings living and swimming in an ocean of troubles, a bi- product of a fallen world. Yet amidst these many voices, there is One voice that bids us that is unfailing and true. It's the voice of our Savior, our shepherd and brother who cries out to us again and again, “Abide in Me," and then proclaims His great promise, “And I will abide in you"! We often think that it would be very risky to trust in Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, yet to do so is the most conservative thing we could ever do. The angels conversing among themselves often ask one another the question, "What does it mean that this man or that man was a man of great faith and trusted in God? What could it mean?" They ponder, "Why would it take any faith at all to trust Father? He neither moves nor breaks, he never fails nor forsakes, what could this possibly mean?" The truth of the matter is that to trust in ourselves or in anything of this world is clearly the most cavalier, the most risky thing we can ever do. When we pursue this path we are assured of failure one-hundred percent of the time maybe not in the present, but in the long run! Though, when we trust (thrust) ourselves into His arms we find him to be that rock that never moves nor ever breaks, that never fails nor forsakes! We will experience His grace and success, one-hundred percent of the time!
In this world everything moves everything breaks but Jesus! This is why he so strongly encourages us to never secure ourselves nor to place our faith in the things of this world nor in our own understanding or abilities, for they will surely fail in time. As we walk through the threshold of this new year, let us picture in our minds our Lord Jesus, arms stretched out wide, lifted up high upon his cross, casting himself without reservation into hell without grace, that we might become sons and daughters, co-heirs of his kingdom, and partakers of his marvelous life. With the same lack of reservation that he offered himself up as a sacrifice for our sins, he bids you and me to yield up our lives into his arms, that he might indwell and abide in us. What the world needs this new and coming year is not me, not you, rather ”Christ in Us, the hope of glory!" May His richest blessings and mercies abound to you and to your household in this New Year......
Your brother always,
Rick
