Sometimes the truth surprises us. There are three messages God has spoken to my heart in the past that I want to share with you as we enter into a new year.
#1. God is pleased with you.
In the nineties, I stood one Sunday evening before Dr. George Brackman, who had just peached a great message and invited the congregation up to see if God would speak through him a personal word to edify them. Dr. Brackman promised that he would speak only the message he felt God was giving for the respective person.
I was the first person in line. Dr. Brackman placed his hands on my shoulders and said, “I am pleased with you.”
I immediately rejected that word. It couldn’t be true. What Dr. Brackman didn’t know was the battles with temptation I often lost. God and I were all too aware of them and there was no way He could find me pleasing. I left church that night believing Dr. Brackman had simply missed it.
A few days later I was reading the Book of Matthew. Chapter 3 records Jesus’ baptism by John. As Jesus came up out of the water the sky opened and the Father spoke from Heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Suddenly, I realized that I was in Christ; God said of Christ Jesus in whom I am well pleased. Therefore, it was true. God is well pleased with me, solely because I am in Christ.
One of the nuggets of knowledge I gained in 2023 came from my friend Justin Huber. Justin pointed out that, when the people went, under the Law of Moses, to atone for their sins, the priest’s concern wasn’t for the sins of the people as much as it was for the quality of their sacrifice. They didn’t review their sins, but, rather, inspected the lamb, making sure the sacrifice was pleasing. If the sacrifice was acceptable, so, too, would be the people.
Even though God is omniscient, He is able to focus on specifics. Focusing requires a de-emphasis of the peripheral. Because of our faith in Jesus, God focuses on Jesus, voluntarily moving our sin to the de-emphasized peripheral. Because of His focus on His beloved Son, He is well pleased with us.
Please remember through 2024 that God is pleased with you.
#2. You are a blessing, not a burden.
Pastor Jimmy Evans’ story is that he felt he was a burden throughout his life. His life’s circumstances, including the people in his life, caused him to feel that he wasn’t worth what he was paid or the benefits he received from anyone in his life.
One day, while Jimmy was in prayer, the Lord spoke to him, saying You’re a blessing, not a burden. God was letting him know that he wasn’t a burden to people, as they had made him feel; rather, he was actually a blessing to them. But when I heard Pastor Evans tell his story, what I sensed God was saying to me was that I am a blessing to God, not a burden to Him. This was surprising to me. I’d never thought God would consider me a blessing. It was my sin that drove Jesus to the cross. My burden is light, Jesus said, but that meant the burden He would place upon us, not the one He carried for us, right?
Then I realized that it wasn’t my sin that drove Jesus to the cross; it was His love for me. It seems counterintuitive to me, but, somehow, God considers me a blessing, not a burden. The mystery’s answer, I believe, is found in His love. He loves us so much that He considers us a blessing.
Please remember through 2024 that you are a blessing, not a burden.
#3. You can do anything you want to do.
If you’re wondering if 2024 can be a year of accomplishment, it can. If you doubt you can achieve your goals for this year, you can. Do you wonder if you’re smart enough? You are. Strong enough? You are. Enough? You are. If you can? You can.
As a music major in college, my primary instrument being voice, my junior recital was a series of songs in German by Robert Schumann called Liederkreis. It was a very challenging undertaking, and, being the undisciplined student and musician I was in those days, I procrastinated, positioning myself to need a near miracle to be ready a week before the recital.
I made up my mind, buckled down and worked day and night those final few days. By the time of the recital, I was prepared.
If I do say so myself, I nailed the recital. I didn’t miss the minutest detail of notes, words, inflections, dynamics, anything. Every single point of correction my teacher had made in the weeks prior, I performed correctly in the recital. To my delight, I received a standing encore ovation.
But my voice teacher, Dr. Bostic, wasn’t impressed by ovations. He made his own judgments about his students’ performances. Very demanding and not at all easily impressed, Dr. Bostic was the most highly respected voice teacher at our college. Indeed, he was the chairperson of the music department.
Backstage, I saw Dr. Bostic in the line of people to congratulate me. When he reached me he shook my hand and said something to me. Then he pulled my hand so I would be sure to hear him and he said it again. You can do anything you want to do. His eyes pierced me.
This may have been the first compliment he’d ever given me; but it was more than a compliment. It was a deposit of encouragement, the fruits of which I have fed on for decades now.
If you think back across your life, I’m pretty sure you’ll remember a time when you accomplished something you feel very good about. We can use those memories for confidence and motivation.
Every time I face a difficult challenge, I picture Bostic’s face and hear those words.
You may recall a time when someone spoke very encouraging words to you. Death and life, Proverbs says, are in the power of the tongue. Let those life seeds grow into a harvest you’ll reap this year.
Please remember through 2024 that you can do anything you want to do.
Happy New Year and may 2024 be a year of accomplishment for you!
