«Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish» (Isaiah 46:10, NLT).
IN ANCIENT ROME, New Year’s Day was a splendid celebration in honor of Janus, one of the most important gods of the pantheon. In Roman mythology, Janus was regarded as the creator of the world, the god who opened and closed doors, the one who presided over beginnings and endings. Every project, whether national or personal, began and ended with him. Roman iconography depicted him with the figure of a being with two faces: one face looked back; the other faced forward. The first month of the year was called Januarius in honor of Janus, and from that Latin word derives the name January.
Indeed, January is the month of open doors, new beginnings, looking forward, dreaming big, and setting new and exciting goals for ourselves. . . it is the month of hope. But it isn’t Janus who opens those doors, grants us those new beginnings, plants those dreams in our hearts, sets high goals for us, or gives us solid reasons to hope. The Bible clearly says it is Christ who sets «before you an open door, and no one can shut it» (Revelation 3:8).
Which doors will open for you beginning this January 1? Which new beginnings will you experience? Which new dreams will you have? Which high goals will you attain? The God of hope knows, and He will be with you in each one of them. Today, the God of the Bible, the only true God, the One who knows your past and what the future holds for you, assures you, «l make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come» (Isaiah 46:10, NIV).
As we begin this new year, today He has this promise for you: «Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish» (Isaiah 46:10, NLT). Hence, it’s not about thinking about what you want, but rather what God has in mind for you. Your goal should not be to open your own doors, made to your own measures, but to cross the threshold of the ones the Lord has already opened for you.
You can look back on last year and, in faith, look forward to this new year, with the certainty that God will finish everything He has set out to start with you. Just as He has promised, His plans will come to pass.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
