You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. —Psalm 4:7 (NLT)
It’s only five hours into the new year and I’m snuggled under a fur blanket in my quiet-time chair. Last night I went to bed at my normal early time, looking forward to these silent moments with God in the wee hours of an untouched year.
The fireplace dances a gentle glow into the room’s darkness. In the dim light, my eyes scan the shelves filled with reminders of my abundant life—photos, books, mementos, the comfort of familiar things. I sip my steaming coffee and absorb the beauty of the moon that dazzles white-carpeted ground outside my study window.
I sit with God now and review the year that’s passed. We go over its highs and lows, triumphs and defeats, challenges and joys, lessons learned. I breathe deeply of His love and thank Him for another year of life. Our conversation turns to the year ahead. I ask Him what He wants to see, then share with Him my hopes and dreams.
I write these things down as if they are a journal entry this same day a year from now and have already occurred. Those pages will become part of my prayers. I tuck them into my Bible, certain that whatever the year ahead holds, He will be with me.
My time with God in the stillness of dawn is precious, priceless, filled with peace. A blaze of orange pierces the horizon, and the first sunrise of this pristine year debuts. I’m filled with anticipation and hope, embraced by the One Who is ever faithful and fully good.
