“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here”(Exodus 33:15). 

As we move forward into this New Year, we need the Presence of the Lord. We stretch our hands into the darkness of uncertain experiences, but by faith believe that there is another hand on the other side to take hold to guide us throughout the year. We trust God who has gone before us and has full knowledge of the end as well as every beginning; but our hope is for His Presence to be with us. As Jesus became man to dwell among us, we need His Presence daily to assure us that we are not alone. If God be with us, who can be against us? He will guide us past every pitfall and entrapment of the enemy as long as He is doing the guiding and we are not merely following the dictates of our own hearts. It is our prayer to be changed this year in order for our hearts to be after His own, thus having the will to fully follow Jesus wherever He may lead. “If He does not go with us, we do not want to be brought from here.” 

We have entered into a New Year. What will we be like by the time we reach this date next year? It is certain that we will not be as we are now. We are changing and the world around us is changing. We face the mysteries that lie ahead with a bit of apprehension; but what are the choices? Life must proceed, and we must enter in by faith. It matters who is leading us as we embark upon a venture pioneering a course that has never been traversed. It is like reaching our hand in the dark in search of a familiar object. 

We reach our hand in the dark by faith that someone is on the other side to lead us through the uncertainties that await us. God’s will is for us to move forward, but our forward movement is dangerous if we are not led. Your presence is being made known and You are with us.  As we face the uncertain journey into the future, we are unable to see what lies ahead.