Bread for the Journey

Even when there is nothing different about this day
there is something about the beginning of a new year

that causes us to contemplate the future

 and wonder how we can make the days of the year count.

I think it is all of our desire to live in such a way

so as not to look back one day and feel like we wasted our time -

but we may need a redefinition of what that means.

When I think back to the year that was, I'm reminded of 

Psalm 138:8 

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.

There is something about this promise that I wanted to grab hold of

and it spurred me on to read more about God's purpose.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

These verses had me asking what my life would look like
 if I daily sought to find even one small purpose?

Looking back now, I can't say that it changed my life

but I believe it helped change my attitude.

When I felt like I did not accomplish what I had planned -
when there was nothing to check off on my to-do list -

I looked for what God may have allowed to happen to change things

and realized that my obedience was what mattered.

When I looked for God's purpose

I was uplifted by the smallest things.

As we look ahead to 2017 

let's be encouraged to know that God,

 because of His love for us, has a plan for our good.

With this in mind we can look for 

His specific purpose for us, be it big or small.
Sometimes it will be easy;
sometimes it will seem impossible.
But we can trust that His purpose will be the 

blessing we ultimately long for.


May the days of the year ahead  find you discovering His purposes for you
and guide you in the way of peace and joy.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Philippians 2:13