Let Everything That Has Breath
Malachi 3:1-4:6
Revelation 22:1-21
Psalm 150:1-6
Proverbs 31:25-31
The final words of the Old Testament, the final words of the New Testament, the final words of the Psalms, and the final words of the Proverbs.
Of course, the author's of these books didn't write these words with the intentions that they would end anything...Malachi wrote a book, John wrote a book, Solomon wrote a bunch of proverbs, and a Psalmist wrote a psalm. The people who created the canon put these books in this order. But still, these are the final words. And these are the final words for 2017.
"I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6
"On the day when I act they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him." Malachi 3:17
"'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20
"She is clothes with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6
I always find the end of the year is an excellent time for reflection. Where have I been? What has God been doing? Where has my heart been? Where is God leading me?
And I think the greatest bit of hope I could find entering a new year is to look back on the old and say that I have praised God throughout, no matter what has happened. And I can pray that as I enter a new year that I will remember Psalm 150 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Like the psalmist, may that be my hope, may that be my wish, my cry, my desire: to praise God. Because He has given me breath.
There is a sense of finality tonight. Endings. I read these final words tonight, I gaze upon the final sunset of 2017, I date my paper 2017, for the last time...but tomorrow brings newness. Genesis.
The God who gave us breath every day for 2017 will give us breath in the wake of 2018. He will guide us through the many things that may come our way, just as He has before. May we never forget how faithful He has been in 2017 that we may remember when we begin to doubt in 2018, 2019, 2020... May we remember and praise the Lord.
Tomorrow the reading plan starts from the beginning. It the perfect place to start if you've ever wanted to read the Bible all the way through. If you are interested I suggest purchasing a copy of "the One Year Bible" by Tyndale either a hard copy or on the Kindle, like I did. I will also post every day the reading passages and give you a heads up for tomorrow's reading in case I don't post until later in the evening (as I often do)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 1:1-2:25
Matthew 1:1-2:12
Psalm 1:1-6
Proverbs 1:1-6