“First plant your fields, then build your barn.”
(Proverbs 24:27 MSG)
Greetings and blessings to each of you as we embark on the journey of a New Year! I marvel at how good God has been to the household of faith and I thank the Lord continually for His Favor that has been extended to us.
I pray that each of you experienced a wonderful Christmas holiday and as we learned in our awesome New Year’s Eve service, this is “THE YEAR of ABUNDANCE!” With all that the Lord did for us in 2016, both individually and collectively, what is going to happen with the abundance for New Bethel in 2017?
I am so excited about what God is getting ready to manifest in our lives. He is going to show to all that He is God! I know it’s hard to fathom and you may not understand what the Lord is saying. Listen… I don’t fully understand! But I believe God! And I can’t wait until our VISION WEEKEND that will be January 27-29, 2017, I’ll be dealing with a different aspect of abundance each week leading up to Vision Sunday.
Often when we look at the current circumstances of our lives… with our shortcomings or what we don’t have or what we’re dealing with… we will conclude that there is now way what I see for my life will happen. You’ll declare, “I cannot arrive to the destination [destiny] that God has for me.” But the devil is a lie! At the end of last year, I declared to myself that I will be taking on a new perspective of life and living as I go into 2017. And as you prepare for this New Year, I encourage you to spend ‘quality’ time meditating (or evaluating) what goals you want to accomplish in this New Year. Remember our recent LIFE Impact lessons, the Lord said“Occupy Till I Come!”
I’m intrigued with the Proverb writer as he reminds us to “First plant your fields, then build your barn.” (24:27 MSG) We must carry out our work in proper order. If a farmer builds his house in the spring, he will miss the planting season and go a year without food! If a businessman invests his money in a new car or house while his business is struggling to grow, he may end up losing it all. Remember, it’s possible to work hard and yet lose everything because you’ve placed attention in the wrong area at the wrong time. Consider “The Priority of Purpose!”
Get your house in order and put first things first! Establish your budget, set a new agenda for your daily devotions, review & prepare your resume, get your relationships as they should, but most of all, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…” Be blessed knowing the promises of God will be true in your life. Let us continue to pray one for one another.
Pastor A. Glenn Brady