Happy New Year 2009!

I love a new year! New Year's Day is just a few hours different from the old year, but it always gives me a fresh feeling of excitement and newness. Of course, some years I have been happy to see go away and some years I am more apprehensive about what the new year will bring. This year, this day, I am mainly feeling excitement and anticipation. I have things that I would like to see happen this year and I have goals and lists (you could call them resolutions, I guess), but I have been trying to start this new day, this new year by giving these desires and goals to the Lord. I am so thankful for what He has done in my life and for all that He has given me and I truly do not want anything that is not in His plan for my life.

In church last week, one of the scripture passages was read from Psalm 84. I have heard and read this psalm many times, but one verse jumped out at me and has stayed with me all week. It is a verse that I want to commit to memory and have a deeper belief about this year:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Psalm 84:11 (NASB),
emphasis mine

I do believe that God is a sun and shield and that He gives grace and glory. What I want to believe more this year is that He does not withhold anything good from those who walk uprightly (or whose walk is blameless, as it reads in the NIV). I am not blameless and cannot walk uprightly on my own. Only Christ makes me appear blameless before God and only He can help me to walk the right path. But, if I am seeking Him, I believe that He will not withhold anything good from my life.

I had the realization this week that since that is true, that means that things that I think are good that I don't have right now are just not in God's plan for me right now, because He will not withhold anything good from me when it is His will. There are many good things that I do have and I am thankful to God for not withholding those from me.

I can't wait to see what good things that God has for me and for those I love in 2009. I am thankful for my family and friends and look forward to the times we will spend together this year. Happy New Year!