READ: Genesis 1:1-2 NLT
'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.'
It is important not to rush past these verses. They may be so familiar to us that it would be easy to skip over them. But don’t! These words are foundational for the whole Bible and for our very lives. They are telling us that everything began with God and so our understanding of the world, human history and our own lives needs to start with God.
As we start a New Year no message could be more important. We will be given every encouragement to believe that our thinking needs to begin with the economy or education, health, world peace, our family, community
or church but, good and vital as all of those things are, the most important of all is to start by looking at God. As we do so we are reminded that without him there is no order, no purpose, no life. When God is excluded everything becomes disordered, confused, formless and empty of purpose.
As you reflect on all the different aspects of your life today, start your thinking with God and let his Spirit hover over all your plans and hopes in the same way as he hovered over the surface of the waters at the start of time. Look at your daily schedule, your plans for the year, your financial hopes, your career and ensure that God is not in the middle of the planning but at the start. It’s very tempting to sort out the shape and plans for our lives by ourselves and then to seek God’s blessing on what we have decided to do. That’s not what God wants. When we get to the end of this year and reflect on all that has happened God wants us to be able to look back and be able to describe the year by the words, “In the beginning God.”




QUESTION: What are you going to do to ensure that God is in driving seat of your plans for this New Year?
PRAYER: Loving Lord, thank you for the incredible gift of a New
Year. Help me to experience your Spirit hovering over every part of the year and guiding me in all that I do. Amen.

Released on 1 Jan 2021