‘Now He calls us to follow Him, to give ourselves completely and unreservedly to His service.’
That is the closing sentence of John Stott’s book ‘Basic Christianity’. And it is a good place to start this New Year which God is giving to us.
‘Now’ – knowing whom we follow, our great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
‘Now’ – in the light of all that He has done for us in redemption and providence. How can we not continue to so follow Him?
‘Now’ – regardless of how much this has been true of us either last year or in the sequence of years since we became Christians.
‘Now’ – without delay or those excuses which focus on ‘me’ instead of on the Lord Jesus Christ.
‘Now’ – in the days of sorrows as well as the days of joy, in times which are inconvenient as well as convenient.
‘Now’ – with resolve to grow in knowledge and to grow in holiness.
‘Now’ – knowing that the very grace of God that has enabled me to so do so far will continue to help me today and every tomorrow.
‘Now’ – for it remains my calling every day, not just that of those around me and through whom the Lord is pleased to bless me.
In this the prayer of Derek Thomas is instructive:
‘I pray for the grace that will keep me enduring to the end. I want Jesus to have everything there is of me.’
May God grant us such a hearing of the voice of Christ in His Word to renew our following Him in a way that suitably glorifies Him, and the echo in our voice as we ask for grace that it might indeed and increasingly be so. For only in this way will be know the wonder of a truly Happy New Year.
Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28-29).