HAPPY NEW YEAR

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas season and had some fun last night celebrating the arrival of another new year.  Personally, I didn't make it past 11.30pm...  But HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  :)

Years ago, I bought a curious little book by Henry van Dyke from a used book store (I think).  "Six Days of the Week" was originally published in 1924 and this book has apparently had several owners.  I see an inscription "To Frank from Aunt Hattie" and I see the name of another owner proudly written on the first page with the year 1976.  I used this book as a devotional some years ago, and decided to do it again for this year.

At risk of copyright infringement, I just want to share today's reading and my resulting thoughts. 

NEW YEAR'S DAY
The days of our years. -- Psalm 90:10

There it is -- all our years are made up of days; and all our days are but little parts of years.

Time may be only "a mental form," as the philosopher Kant said long ago (and as our ingenious Mr. Einstein has just told us, with the complacency of a commercial traveller inventing a new slogan).

But this mental form has a curious continuity.

It flows like a river.

It runs on like a road on which w are all journeying, and beside which we set up our milestones to mark the distance already traversed.

For each man it is his own birthday that tells him how many years of days he has had.

For mankind it is New Year's day, which Charles Lamb called "the nativity of our common Adam."

For each of us, how many failures, disappointments, losses!

Yet God has pulled us through, and we still have a chance to do better.

For mankind how many false starts, delays, disasters!

Yet the race goes on, indomitably hopeful.

It is a day for repentance, and patience, and courage.

And good resolutions?

Yes, please God!

For unless we men resolve to be good, the world will never be better.

For unless we men resolve to BE GOOD, the world will never be better.  This one sentence struck me more than any other.  Unless we resolve to BE GOOD...  no matter how hard we try, we know that we will never always BE good on our own.  We can never be good apart from God, but  I stand a much better chance of being good if I abide IN Jesus.  So therefore instead of resolving to be good, I resolve to be in Jesus.

So Mr. van Dyke, with all due respect, I think the last line ought to be amended to,

For unless we resolve to abide in Jesus, we men cannot resolve to be good, and the world will never be better.