A Closer Walk
As this new year gets underway here are a few quotes from none other than Winston Churchill, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. Perhaps this relates to the quote, “Men don't recognize Opportunity because it usually comes dressed in dirty overalls and looks like work.” (This quote is attributed to various people but originator is unknown.) Reasons NOT to do something abound; especially if we share the idea with someone else. We should evaluate a situation or an opportunity before we jump in. In modern times that is referred to as “risk assessment.” If we are wanting to do something we should determine if that equates to jumping off a cliff, or something less severe. Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that we will never know everything there is to know about any given thing. Our actions should also be “bathed in prayer,” so to speak. Only our God knows the complete and unedited future.
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. Whatever we choose to do we should do it heartily. “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might,” Ecclesiastes 9:10 NASB. Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel...Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses...“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go,” Joshua 1:1-9 NASB.
Joshua had a huge job ahead of him. As Moses' successor he was chosen to lead the Israelites into the promised land to possess it and inhabit it. This was the land that God had promised Abraham would be the possession of Abraham's descendants. And so it was. This passage in Joshua has been very encouraging to me personally over the years. No matter what happens, regardless of what has come my way, reading this passage has been encouraging and has been uplifting to my spirit.
If you are going through hell, don't stop. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me,” Psalm 23:4 NASB. Going through hell, or if not hell the valley of the shadow of death as recorded in Psalm 23, is not a place we want to stop and smell the roses or have a picnic. We might even want to pick up the pace, to get through it quicker.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. So the beginning of a new year is a good time to remember and reflect on what we gave last year. And to determine or set goals on what we would like to give this year. How could we do it better? How could we reach more people? How could we honor our God more? As children of God honoring Him should always be one of our desires. How do we honor our God more? “Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:9 NASB.
So our goal or goals this new year should be to honor our God more than we did last year, and to be more pleasing to Him this year than we were last year. And we can start here, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer,” Psalm 19:14 NASB.
“Majesty, worship His Majesty. Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise!
Majesty, Kingdom Authority, Flow from His throne, unto His own His anthem raise! Majesty, worship His Majesty. So exalt, lift up on high the Name of Jesus
Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King. Majesty, worship His Majesty; Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings!” Words and music by Jack Hayford, 1934-2023. He wrote over 600 hymns, including this one.