“Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” Psalm 65 (NIV)
This Psalm is appropriate for the first day of the New Year. It speaks of praising God. It speaks of fulfilling vows. It speaks of forgiveness of sins. It speaks of God’s blessing on the faithful. It speaks of righteousness and salvation and hope. It speaks of beginnings and endings being full of joy. It speaks of God’s constant care and provision for his people. It speaks of God’s abundance overflowing in the lives of his people. It speaks of the songs of praise that God’s people sing in their joy.
On the first day of the New Year, we anticipate the future blessings of God and prepare to praise Him for them. Our praises await Him! Vows are carefully considered, but we promise to faithfully fulfill them in response to God’s works. Anticipation goes way beyond any wishful fantasy. Expecting God to bless with forgiving grace may be the most that some can fathom, but God’s grace is far greater than that. God is our salvation, our righteousness, and our hope . . . overflowing and multiplying beyond sin’s greatest entanglement!
The goodness of God is overwhelming and his acts are awesome! His power is beyond our comprehension, but in this New Year, we are confident that he will calm the roaring seas and turmoil that arise. Like the Psalmist, we are confident that God walks with us here in the rising dawn of 2009 and will be with us at its fading evening. And because he is our God, that comfort calls forth songs of joy.
God is also in the day between the dawn and sundown. He is our constant companion and caretaker. The streams of God are never empty. We shall not want because He is our shepherd! His abundance overflowing into our lives brings gladness to our hearts. We do not know what they shall be, but we know that when His blessings arrive they will be wonderful. In anticipation of them, we get ready to shout for joy and sing his praises. “Praise awaits you, O God!”
Dear Father, thank you in advance for your blessings of 2009. Truly, our hearts do magnify you as our God. May your praises be in our mouths throughout this year! I pray this in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Have a blessed New Year,