My Monday Morning Cup | January 4, 2021

Good morning! How is your 2021 going so far? Are you finding opportunities to be compassionate, gracious, kind, and loving like we discussed in my New Year’s Day post? I pray that you are. I also hope you are at least considering getting back into God’s Word in 2021 like I purposed in Saturday’s post. While we remain mired in the COVID-19 pandemic and all that entails, we still have the power to choose how we respond to the challenges life throws our way.

Saturday night, Sweet T and I visited a church and the young preacher introduced the concept of starting 2021 with a clean slate. As human beings, it is easy to carry yesterday’s issues, problems, and sorrows into the new year. And while that may be tempting, beginning the year on a fresh note is definitely something worth serious consideration.

What areas in your life would you like to erase and get a do-over on?

Maybe you’ve been selfish or self-centered or perhaps you’ve flirted with unfaithfulness or suffered from gluttony. It could be that you’re feeling isolated and lonely because you’ve mishandled key relationships in your life. What would you love Jesus to fix in your life?

¹I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
²He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.
Psalm 40:1-3

As this new year kicks off, I pray that you would cry out to God as David did and ask Him to deliver you from the pit you may find yourself in.

God as I understand God is a God of second chances. Yes, you must make good choices. But, know that you can turn to the Lord when something doesn’t go the way you anticipated it would or you realize that what seemed like a good decision turned out to be anything but the right thing to do.

As for the church we visited, it was good to worship in a sanctuary together. Granted, it wasn’t a big crowd. There was ample room and people were easily socially distanced. The worship set was sparse yet beautiful. It was good to be in the house of the Lord worshipping Him alongside my wife. With the circumstances surrounding last year, it had been far too long for us to experience worship together in a manner we had grown to cherish. Ending the service with the Lord’s Supper added a special, meaningful touch to a solid evening of praise and teaching.

In a recent post, I mentioned that 2021 is a year of transition for the Bantau family. Starting 2021 with a clean slate certainly amplifies the opportunities and possibilities yet to come.

Reflection Questions:

Could you benefit from a clean slate/ fresh start in 2021?
Have you been able to spend time in the Word to begin the year?
Are you identifying opportunities to show compassion, be gracious, show kindness, and demonstrate love to others?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank You for a fresh start to a new year. We celebrate the provisions You have blessed us with and we are grateful for the opportunity to use Your blessings to be more compassionate, gracious, kind, and loving in a world desperately in need of more of all those things. May we grow in our knowledge of You through the daily reading of Your word. Help us be the hands and feet of Christ in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; May His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). Treat others the way you want them to treat you (Luke 6:31). If you lead people, I pray you lead them well.

Under Christ, for the Glory of Christ.

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

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