A New Year By Jerry Ousley

A New Year
By Jerry Ousley

After three hundred and sixty-five days (three hundred and sixty-six during a leap year), we mark the beginning of another year. It celebrates the completion of the Earth's orbit around the sun. We have made another revolution. I suppose that's something to celebrate considering that we have ridden this ball of rock and dirt all the way around a burning inferno a ball of flaming gas, without becoming toast.

We don't think about it very often; we really take it for granted from day to day, how that God has so perfectly kept us safe on this small planet, suspended in outer space. We go to our jobs, do our tasks and have fun on the weekends. Some turn to church on Sunday morning and spend a little time thinking of God, but then many can't wait until the final "amen" has been said so that they can race to their favorite restaurant for Sunday dinner.

We don't think about the life that God has placed on our rock in space, the third out from our sun. So many life forms exist! Scientists are yet discovering new species nearly every day. I read not long ago that a frog with fangs was found somewhere in the South Eastern region of Asia. We'd never think of getting bitten by a frog would we? All these centuries on this planet and we are still finding new life forms that God created during that very first week after forming this planet. That's amazing to me.

Most of us don't give much thought to all the stars suns themselves many of them, having their own system of planets slowly making their circle around them. What it must be like out there!

We don't think about the violence that goes on underneath our feet as rock shelves shift and move unless their activity reaches the surface of the earth and we experience an earthquake. The weather is most often a nuisance to us unless it unleashes wild tornados, hurricanes, cyclones, or typhoons. The vastness of the ocean isn't given much place in our thoughts until an underwater eruption or earthquake occurs and a giant tsunami rushes somewhere to shore bringing devastation and death.

All these things outer space, life, the weather, and the movement of galaxies and solar systems, take a backseat in our thoughts unless one of them directly affects us. To dwell on them and their dangers for very long can be depressing and scary.

But this New Year I would like to present you with another thought. It isn't a new idea or a profound recent discovery. In fact it is as old as time. It is that in the midst of the vastness of all these things God has control of them all. The wildness of nature, the uncontrollable destruction by storms and the violence of the earth all happens because we mankind, introduced sin in the midst of all the cosmos. Some call these things "Acts of God" but in reality they are the results of the "acts of man."

Still, we can come to a place of peace in the midst of it all because of the very God we have sinned against. This great God who has created all these things the planets hurtling through outer space, the strange and wonderful life-forms found on this egg-shaped ball we call Earth and the forces of nature we so fear; He has made them and though uncontrollable by humanity, He holds them in His hands. The fact is that He loves us each and every one of us. He wants nothing more than for us to come to Him; to tell Him we are sorry for our sin in honest sincere repentance. When we do He will take a break from all the schedules of the planets and take a moment to touch us with a forgiving hand.

It has always amazed me how that all these forces were put second place by God. He put us first you know. Even though we are but a tiny spec on a tiny spec in outer space, all the suns, stars, and planets were dismissed during creation by one statement. Genesis 1:16 simply says, "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also." Did you hear that? Speaking of the sun and the moon, when it came to the vastness of space it simply and in so many words says, "Oh, and He made the stars too." Why does He not emphasis this vastness more? It's because you and I were more important to Him. He loves you. This year, come to Him. You'll discover the best year you have ever had.

Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of four books, "Soul Challenge", "Soul Journey" "Ordeal" and "The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional." Listen to our daily broadcast Spirit Bread. Find out more by visiting http://www.spiritbread.com

or email us at jousley@spiritbread.com

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compiled by Jeremy