Look Back to Gain Confidence for the Future – January 2, 2023

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us.
Isaiah 63:7

Look Back to Gain Confidence for the Future

On New Year’s Eve, did you look backward or forward?

You may have been tempted not to look back. The past year may have been filled with unkept resolutions, unfinished business, and disappointing results. Looking back might have led to bad feelings, even guilt. Looking forward might have offered the promise of new beginnings, even a fresh start.

But looking backward to what the Lord has done for you is a good idea. When you look at the Lord, you see promises kept, business tended to, and excellent results every time. In the Lord Jesus Christ, you have forgiveness for everything that might cause guilt. You have the promise that even when things didn’t look great, the Lord was working things out for your good.

Now you can look forward in the new year to a blessed life—a life that is lived to the glory of God. That means looking out for your neighbor’s needs since the Lord has met all your needs. That means a quiet confidence that the Lord will carry you through even the hardest things.

When the future looks bleak or daunting, look back to the kindnesses of the Lord in your life. Praise the Lord for his marvelous deeds, and be confident that the same Lord will be with you in the new year.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 367)
Then gracious God, in years to come,
We pray your hand may guide us,
And, onward through our journey home,
Your mercy walk beside us
Until at last our ransomed life
Is safe from peril, toil, and strife
When heav’n itself shall hide us. Amen.