Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
INSIGHT
-Begin in Hebrew is written as chalal & it means start, launch & initiate. It also means to make the first movement towards a given end.
-The first thing that God created was light giving us an idea of how important it is. God tells us that He came as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Him should not abide in darkness (John 12:46) & again He is the light which gives men life (John 1:4). Through His light in us, we have life & darkness cannot comprehend it. We have seen Gods’ light in our lives, families & nation many times & in different ways during the year 2017, & should therefore give Him all the praise & thanks. He is the beginning & end, & knew how we would end year 2017 & begin year 2018. He also knows the end of year 2018 from its beginning. As we usher in this year, may we submit all our plans to Him so that He may direct us in the right path. Also, when God is at the centre of our lives, we are able to reflect His light to the world that others may see our good works & give all the glory to Him (Mat 5:14-16).
PRAYER
Almighty Father; You are full of grace & mercy, we give You thanks for all You have done unto us in the year 2017. Many have lost their lives Father but You have upheld us, many have slept hungry but You have provided us with bread, many have suffered disease but Father You have sustained us, many have missed great opportunities but You have been merciful to us, many nations have been fighting for long but Jesus You have protected us from blood shed even during the time of elections, many economies have crumbled but Lord You have sustained ours from collapse. We praise Your name & lift You high Father. We proclaim that there is no other God like You, help us to rest secure in You. We submit our lives unto You Father, forgive us our sins & have Your way in us. Deliver us from spiritual blindness that we may see You better, & that Your light may shine through us, in our families, workplaces, neighbourhoods & nations. All glory, honour, power, riches, wisdom, strength & praise belong to You Lord, now & forever. Amen
Joshua 3:7
And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
INSIGHT
-Moses sent spies to the land of Canaan among whom Joshua & Caleb were part. The other spies brought back a displeasing report to the Israelites, that the land was inhabited by giants which made them look like grasshoppers. This report caused fear among the children of Israel & they troubled Moses to take them back to Egypt. Joshua & Caleb on the other hand encouraged the people to have faith in God & reassured them of His protection (Num 14:1-9). Unfortunately, the Israelites had little faith in God despite the great signs & wonders He had initially showed them. The result was a massive delay on the part of their inheritance & death of the other spies. Many time we read the Word which builds up our faith & encourages us that we will receive what we ask from the Lord. Down the line we face discouragement from others or unbelief sets in; which causes a delay in our answers. Joshua had great faith in God & was promoted to leadership. He had the privilege of leading the Israelites into the long awaiting promised land & administered subdivision of their inheritance. As we begin year 2018, may we continuously ask God to increase our faith that He may cause an acceleration in our blessings.
PRAYER
Father we believe in You & in Your promises in our lives. We humbly ask You to remove all anxiety, doubt & unbelief from our hearts, that we may receive unwavering faith from You. We call forth our inheritance this year & proclaim that no weapon fashioned against us shall prosper for we are protected by the blood of the Lamb. Bless us in deed Lord & enlarge our territories that we may find rest in You. We praise You & glorify Your name forever. Amen
Ecclesiastes 3:11-13
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
INSIGHT
-God has designed everything according to His purpose & makes everything beautiful at its time. Just like we have four seasons where the sun is designed to thrive during summer, rain or snow during winter, leaves change colour during autumn & flowers blossom during spring. Sometimes God reveals to us His plan for mankind & nations through dreams & visions, & we cannot fully comprehend His works. We only need to believe & trust that He is working in us & with us as He wills. We should also remember that all things work together for those who love Him & are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). By rejoicing & doing good all the time; we realise that God is full of mercy & His will always prevails. Doing good expresses ones favourable character & requires us to express a positive attitude to others in the quest for edification & not recognition. In His goodness; God freely gives us the gift to enjoy the work of our hands that we remain joyful all our lives.
PRAYER
We praise Your holy name Father for Your mighty works in all the universe. May the fragrance of Your love in Your tender mercies come forth Lord, that we may experience the fullness of Your joy & peace. May Your mighty works increase in us hope for a better future. May Your fruit Holy Spirit; ignite in us the light of kindness & goodness that others may experience You through us. May Your grace bring us joy that we may forever enjoy the work of our hands. We thank You & praise You Lord forever & ever. Amen
1 John 2:24-25
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
INSIGHT
-From the beginning; the Word of God calls us to abide in truth that our hearts may be purified from all wickedness; for when the inside is clean it reflects outside. This can be achieved by the grace of God which helps us to leave behind all ungodliness & worldly lust; that we may see the blessed hope & glorious appearance of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ; who redeemed us & purified us for Himself, His own special people zealous in good works (Titus 2:12-14). By keeping His word; we display the love of God & His love abides in our hearts; that His kingdom dwells with us; which transcends to eternity (John 14:23).
PRAYER
Almighty Father, I humbly ask You to create in me a clean heart & renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence Lord & do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation & uphold me by Your generous Spirit. May Your love & grace abide in me forever that I may love You & my neighbor as myself. All glory & power belong to You. Amen
Revelation 22:13-14
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
INSIGHT
-Jesus is the Door by Whom we enter into the city where we will have the right of the tree of life & live forever. He loves us more that anyone can & by His grace helps us to keep His commandments.
SUMMARY
-Begin in Hebrew is written as chalal & it means start, launch & initiate. It also means to make the first movement towards a given end.
-Jesus is the Beginning & the End, the Alpha & Omega, the First & the Last. The first chapter & last chapters of the Bible are somehow similar in that: – in the beginning God created light & in the end He displays Himself as Light that takes away all darkness. Also, in beginning sin had not entered the world & in the end there will be no sin for the deceiver & his agents will be thrown into the lake of fire. We have seen Gods’ hand many times in our personal lives, families, friends, leaders & nation especially last year. He has given us life, peace, sustenance, protection, provision & numerous other uncountable blessings. It is a great opportunity therefore; to just give thanks to God for His goodness & mercy upon us. He also knows the end of 2018 from the beginning & calls us to submit all our plans to Him so that He may direct us in the right path. Joshua & Caleb had great faith in God for when they foresaw trouble in Canaan, they still gave a good report to the Israelites unlike the other spies (Num 14:1-9). Unfortunately, the Israelites had little faith in God despite the great signs & wonders He had initially showed them. This caused a massive delay in their promise of inheritance & they kept complaining. At the appointed time Jacob was promoted to leadership, he led the Israelites into Canaan & administered subdivision of their inheritance. Many time we build up hope, faith & courage when we reading the word but down the line we face discouragement from others or unbelief sets in which causes delays in answers to our prayers. As we begin the year, may we have firm faith in God for with Him nothing is impossible. God has designed everything according to His purpose & makes everything beautiful at its time (Ecc 3:11). Through the word we abide in truth that our hearts may be cleansed from all wickedness & unbelief; for when the inside is godly, it reflects outside. It is not easy to keep Gods’ commandments but this can be achieved by the grace of God which helps us to leave behind all ungodliness & worldly lust; that we may see the blessed hope & glorious appearance of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ; who redeemed us & purified us for Himself, His own special people zealous in good works (Titus 2:12-14). By keeping His word; we display the love of God & His love abides in our hearts that His kingdom Which perpetuates to eternity dwells with us (John 14:23). Finally brethren, through the same grace we are able to enjoy the work of our hands that we may remain joyful all our lives.
PRAYER
We thank You Father for bestowing upon us the grace to see this year in good health. We have never lacked, we give You praise Lord. It is not by our power or might but by Your Spirit Father. We humbly implore You to cover us with Your precious blood which has power over all sicknesses, oppression, sins, anxiety, unbelief, fear, spiritual attacks & all forms of evil that we may remain joyful all our lives. Increase our in faith You & love for You; & others that we may abide in You & Your word. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ & the love of God & the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now & forever more. Amen